Review Summary: They know how to use their instruments, but they don't know how to show it off.
I really like The Agony Scene. They have a somewhat different sound in the overcrowded metalcore genre. The Darkest Red is their second album and it’s great…but halfway through it begins to give you a sense of déjÃ* vu.
I’ll start with the title track, because the Prelude was exactly the same as every other opening song in existence. The Darkest Red is a thrashy opener that’s heavy on the drums and strains vocalist Mike Williams shrill scream to the edge of its tall spectrum. Good song, but nothing groundbreaking.
NOW the album starts to sound like there’s going to be something to it. Scars of Your Disease is by far the best song on the album. It’s catchy, heavy, and the guitars are great. Williams screeches at a level for dog’s ears throughout again and the chorus is the most interesting on the album, creative.
On Screams Turn to Silence I wondered how Williams even survived to the sung chorus. The guy’s vocal chords sound on the verge of shredding. The guitars again are fast and thick, which are the driving force behind the whole album. The best lyrics are on this song, a cancer metaphor and almost no mention of blasphemy or dark red.
Strong guitars hold out on Sacrifice, as does Mike’s voice, but the lyrics are pretty much the same thing: blasphemy, dark red, scars, etc. What saves this song from being truly terrible is the incredible breakdown, which pushes both the vocals and guitar to the absolute limit.
Prey is the first single, and hey! Heavy guitars! And oh listen! High-pitched shrieking vocals! The guitars are exceptionally great but the lyrics and the chorus are just mediocre. About now I realized the album peaked all the way back at Scars of Your Disease and it’s not going back.
…Maybe I was wrong. Procession starts off with more excellent guitars and the vocals are great! Just like Scars! But wait…this sounds exactly like Scars, sans the awesome chorus. And poof goes my high hopes for Procession.
Here comes the brutality. Suffer opens like a true death metal song, even with a sharp pig squeal. The death metal stays throughout and the chorus is downright demonic. Suffer re-opens the window of opportunity for The Darkest Red.
The window opens a little wider…My Dark Desire is a return to the forefront of the album, mixing elements of the title track and Scars of Your Disease, with a sung chorus that doesn’t suck! Yay! The lyrics are still the same though…oh well. Baby steps.
Here we go again. Awesome guitars and vocals that make your throat bleed. Scapegoat tosses you back four songs to Prey. Great, for about 30 seconds.
Ok, it’s the last song. Will it suck or will Darkest Red close with a bang? Nothing at the unrevealing beginning…then a shock of fast guitars and shrieks that sounds hopeful. Forever Abandoned is actually a great song, relatively. Fast and furious, with a chorus I’m pretty sure I heard on My Dark Desire, but this one screams…hmm…
Overall, The Darkest Red is an impressive feat of fretwork and larynx-ripping vocals. The guitars never cease and Mike Williams never ceases to amaze, but musically only a few songs stand out. 3.5 for a worthy effort.
Recommended: Scars of Your Disease, Screams Turn to Silence, Suffer, My Dark Desire.
