As a fan, it can be quite the treat to witness a band you really enjoy evolve over time and become something much more in terms of substance and quality. It’s a great feeling and a unique type of euphoria to behold knowing that a band you’ve come to respect is still growing and they’re not destined to become boring in repeating the same sound over and over again without any sort of variance. I never once thought The Agonist would fall into that trap, but to actually witness them ascend to another level is a delicious treat and “Orphans” is a stupendous work to eat up time after time.
The sound with which The Agonist has crafted many albums out of is the sort of material that will likely never truly die out given how infectious and marketable it can be, but even a little bit of change can make for a hell of a difference in a band’s sound and even refresh the members’ creativity. It was with their last work that The Agonist continued to impress with their balanced sound that was rife with excellence from beginning to end, but it’s with their newest offering of “Orphans” that this band gives us something more. And by more, I mean a sh*t ton of it! More aggression. More melody. More action. More f*ck yeah! Everything about this record brings to the table everything that The Agonist has become known for but it’s all wrapped in so much power and is made with such potency that it’s a real joy to listen to. Every single track off of “Orphans” has plenty to call its own as they could easily stand proudly on their own as great singles which is a real feat to pull off in any scenario for any brand of music. Whether it’s stupendous melodies or an aggressive onslaught that wouldn’t end for the very world, there isn’t a single bit of it that isn’t pulled off with grandeur that The Agonist has been honing for years by this point but it’s easy to see that it’s with this work that they’ve outdone themselves.
“Orphans” is everything that we’ve ever come to expect from this band, and yet, somehow, they surprised me with how much they really went for it. It could’ve been so easy for them to just stick to the exact same formula and that likely would’ve been the safer option, but The Agonist took a risk to go above and beyond for this album. To say that it didn’t work out would be a spit upon the powerful performance that The Agonist delivers here.
“Orphans” releases on September 20th via Rodeostar Records ! You can pre-order the album via multiple sources here and stream the single, “In Vertigo”, via YouTube below.
Track Listing:
1. In Vertigo
2. As One We Survive
3. The Gift of Silence
4. Blood as My Guide
5. Mr. Cold
6. Dust to Dust
7. A Devil Made Me Do It
8. The Killing I
9. Orphans
10. Burn it All Down
