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By JEFF MAKI
For anyone who bought Revolver's “Hottest Chicks in
Metal” issue, you were introduced to the straight-edge,
blue-haired hottie Alissa White-Gluz, vocalist of The Agonist.
Her freakish, edgy look surely led to a few of the mags being
used in an ... ummm ... indecent manner. Now that we've seen
her in the magazines and had our vivid fantasies, the band's
debut album, Once Only Imagined, is out Aug. 14 2007,
on Century Media Records.
Formerly known as The Tempest, The Agonist represents the
more aggressive side of the female metal genre. Aside from
a few gothic undertones and backing vocals, the music is as
fast and breakdown-heavy as Killswitch Engage or Bleeding
Through, leading me to believe that many will dismiss this
as another metalcore cash grab. Truthfully, the aggressive
parts are closer to melodic death metal. Alissa's vocals are
demonic, like Angela Gassow of Arch Enemy, who she greatly
admires. And she's actually singing when she's not bellowing
out inhuman growls. Before I continue, put down the beers
and bud fellas. Alissa says it's not a turn on when a guy
“does drugs, drinks or smokes. I find the idea of escapism
pathetic.” She wears the straight edge black X on her
hand to make everyone aware. The Agonist also has a strong
message they're trying to convey within the lyrics—the
protection of the planet and its inhabitants. Good luck deciphering
this.
“Rise and Fall,” “Born Dead; Buried Alive”
and “Take a Bow” open the album with blunt force,
with the most evil sounding female metal vocal performance
since Arch Enemy's Wages of Sin. The band also can be compared
to In This Moment, another female-fronted act that recently
their debut on Century Media, though the Agonist are a few
notches heavier. Aside from the short intro (“Synopsis”)
and the obligatory minute-long acoustic track (“Chiaroscuro”),
Once Only Imagined is a dynamic combination of beauty
and aggression. The album artwork depicts this theory, as
well. Other standouts are the catchy “Trophy Kill,”
which features some memorable acoustic guitar before erupting,
and the monstrous “Memonto Mori.”
We're seeing more and more females in metal entering into
the extreme side of things. When you hear these bands, you
often have to ask yourself, “Is that a chick singing?”
White-Gluz has the charisma, diversity and talent to take
The Agonist a long way. Let's face it, even though the band
itself is more than admirable, they wouldn't be much without
her. She makes this album and makes the band, just as a lead
vocalist should do. This is an album to look out for.
®2007 Live-Metal.net
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