Agrimonia

AWAKEN

SOUTHERN LORD GOTHENBURG METAL LINCHPINS PERFECT THE ART OF EXTREME PROGRESSION Agrimonia’s fantastic third LP, Rites Of Separation, established the Gothenburg band – featuring members of At The Gates, Martyrdöd and Skitsystem – as one of the most exciting metal acts today. New album Awaken naturally expands upon the complementary interplay between crystalline post-metal, rampaging crustpunk and black metal, which made their previous album so engaging. On Astray and The Sparrow, Agrimonia’s adventurous musicianship even displays an Opeth-ian grandeur, and yet, such progressive nous is never at the expense of their extreme edge – mostly because of Christina Blom’s raw, dominant screams and some punishing riff progressions. To craft numerous diverse movements and make them run seamlessly together across lengthy compositions is quite the sleight of hand, but to do so while incorporating various subgenres and maintaining the same ominous aura undoubtedly elevates Agrimonia’s songwriting to a level beyond the comprehension of many of their contemporaries.

FOR FANS OF: KATATONIA, MARTYRDÖD, OATHBREAKER

DEAN BROWN