Review of ABANDON AGONY - Endbringer / Grand Sounds PR
Well... What immediately stands out about Endbringer is that Abandon Agony doesn't sound like a band trying to show off their melodic death metal credentials. The influences are obvious enough. Anyone familiar with the Swedish scene will recognise where some of these ideas come from within the first few songs. The difference is that the band use those influences as a foundation rather than a destination. A lot of younger melodeath bands treat melody as something that sits on top of the riffs. Here, the melodies are part of the riffs themselves. The guitars carry much of the album's momentum, whether through simple lead work or layered harmonies, and they do so without constantly reaching for a big dramatic payoff. Endbringer is a heavy record, but its weight comes from the strength of the writing rather than sheer velocity. The production makes the right choices for this kind of material. It sounds modern, but not overly processed. The instruments have definition, yet there is ...
