ABORT Magazine™

Album Review: The Agonist – Prisoners

Album Review: The Agonist
Prisoners
Century Media

It must be said, here and now, that Alissa White-Gluz is flat-out gorgeous. Her vocals will most certainly rip you a new one, and you may want to sit down before listening to this album, lest it knock you on ‘yer tuchus.

“You’re Coming With Me” opens the album, with a fearsome blend of both blistering and at times slower riffs. The overall sound of the track would be suitably likened to a Lacuna Coil-death metal hybrid. A few tracks down the road, “Predator & Prayer” starts off in a manner vaguely reminiscent of “Another Brick In the Wall.” (In this case, children singing “we hear you, we don’t care.”)

Any band has the potential to put out a stellar first album. A few can make it to the second album. Fewer still, ever are successful enough for a third album. It’s really like making a sandwich – throw down a couple slices of bread, and your favorite meats and cheeses. The core of the sandwich stays the same, a blank canvas, in a manner of speaking. All the while, one is free to throw on different condiments, veggies, and other toppings. This way, there is room to grow and mature without forgetting the roots.

Likewise, one can make an album in a similar way. Perhaps as in this case, one has a metal band, or in another situation, maybe a country group. Generally, the style of the band stays the same over the long term, while allowing room for improvement and maturation.

Listening to Prisoners can hardly be compared to analyzing the Mona Lisa, or performing Shakespeare, but the concept remains the same : the ability to sit back and enjoy it for what it is (kick ass metal, especially “Predator & Prayer,” “Dead Ocean,” and “Mass of the Earth”), and the ability to compare it to previous work of the same artist. It is neither automatically better, worse, or even the same. Prisoners simply is, and it is great at being so.

Myspace.com/theagonist

By: Chris Neuberger

WANT MORE ALBUM REVIEWS? CLICK HERE

Copyright © 2004-2012 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.

Comments are closed.