Hey there, tech fiends, it's that time of the week again. Before we dive into today's focus, here's the usual reminder that all prior editions of this series can be perused here.
In 2017, the Polish dudes in Redemptor dropped Arthaneum, which we proudly premiered here in this space. Although it was far removed from being their first release(s) as a group, it was a fantastic release that really brought the group a lot of acclaim and new fans. All of which was well deserved. We're close to the end of 2021 and the band's fourth full-length, Agonia will be out this Friday through SelfMadeGod Records. We've got the exclusive album stream for you today which you can scroll down and click play on below.
As so often happens, life gets in the way and I won't have as much time to discuss Redemptor – Agonia to the in-depth degree I'd like to do if time allowed. Fortunately, this is an album premiere piece, not a full review. But to get down to it for those who don't know Redemptor, the Kraków, Poland-based project has been around since 2001. At one point or another featuring numerous high-profile death metal musicians from many different bands in their ranks. For anyone paying attention, there was a bass guitar and drums lineup shift that happened after Arthaneum came out in 2017, which led to some hardcore fans of the group such as myself wondering what impact this might have on Agonia.
Agonia, which means agony, evolves upon the dissonant and mechanical soundscapes that flourished throughout Arnatheum. Whereas Arnatheum felt like a piece of well-thought-out connective tissue bridging the gap between dissonant technical death metal (with a particular focus on being an atmospheric death metal group as well) and "regular" technical death metal, Redemptor once again has chosen growth over complacency this go around. On Agonia, the music resembles Gorguts and Obscura more than it ever has for the band, and yet there is still a complex and cold tech-death element that brings to mind Soreption and Decapitated to me.
At the end of the day, my only complaint regarding Agonia is that I wish it had come out earlier in the year so that it might receive more praise critically that could help boost awareness of it among fans of this style of music. No matter the outcome, the quality of the music on display here is well worth your money and time. You can pre-order Redemptor – Agonia here and here. You can also follow the band over on Facebook and Instagram.
