Agonist, The - 'Lullabies For The Dormant Mind'

In my review of their 2007 debut, I compared The Agonist to In This Moment. At the time it was a reasonable comparison, but now after both bands' sophomore releases, it is no longer valid. In This Moment went in a more mainstream direction, while Lullabies For The Dormant Mind finds The Agonist just as intense and even more technical.

The Agonist blends a ton of influences into their sound. Everything from metalcore to melodic death metal to black metal to mathcore to symphonic metal is utilized on Lullabies For The Dormant Mind. Overall the band has improved and matured, though there's still room for improvement.

The songs are dense and technical, and sometimes the arrangements are a bit overwhelming. Removing a few layers might make things more palatable. They get it right on tracks like "The Sentient." It starts off fast and brutal, and the riffs are relatively simple but catchy. Layers of symphonic keyboards accent but don't overwhelm when they are featured. There's also a nice instrumental interlude halfway through the song before the intensity ratchets back up.

Alissa White-Gluz is the star of the show. She displays a variety of harsh and melodic styles. From death metal growls to black metal screams to metalcore yells to melodic singing, she is a force to be reckoned with.

Her singing skills are on display in the acapella "Swan Lake," with layers and layers of her melodies and harmonies. It would have been better using part of it as an intro or interlude, as the entire three minute song gets self-indulgent and the novelty quickly wears thin.

You can tell The Agonist did a lot of touring between their debut and Lullabies For The Dormant Mind. Their musical chops really sharpened up, and Gluz-White's vocals have also improved. It's a positive progression, and adding a few more hooks and streamlining some of the arrangements would send them to an even higher level.

(released March 10, 2009 on Century Media Records)