Agathodaimon – “The Seven” ReviewMarch 24, 2022
Music Reviews
0 Comment

Their first album in 9 years, Agathodaimon return in 2022 with “The Seven”, their seventh full length album released on Napalm Records.

Identity Crisis

My first introduction to Agathodaimon was their 1998 debut, “Blacken The Angel“. They performed symphonic/melodic black metal with melodic tremelo picking, such as the opening track “Tristetea Vehementa” on that first album. “The Seven” is not that, necessarily. Those elements still exist but in such a way where it is no longer recognizable as “Agathodaimon”; they have evolved considerably. So this is a weird one, a bit of an identity crisis if I’m being blunt. You get dual-layered spoken-word sections similar to Cradle Of Filth, orchestration akin to Carach Angren and Enslaved-like “progressiveness”.

That being said you’re going to get a varied experience with this album, blast beats and double bass, tremolo picking and sorrowful guitar solos, vocals ranging from blackened-shrieks to deep guttural growls and classical orchestration underneath it all. This makes it so the album does not feel like one continuous song as many black metal albums often do; each song stands out from each other.

The songs aren’t too long, the longest being just over 7 minutes so the ten tracks totaling 48 minutes do not overstay their welcome; leaving you fulfilled at the end but not necessarily wanting more.

Back Then The Sun Did Shine

Overall, I enjoyed the album, I just have a hard time recognizing this as Agathodaimon; maybe because I have listened to their debut for 20 years and the “The Seven” sounds like a good Enslaved copy-cat. I can see this album as a “grower”, just needing more listens. By separating the comparisons to the debut, “The Seven” is a good listen throughout, the second half of the album being much stronger than the first.

  • Standout track: In My Dreams (Parts 1 and 2)
  • For fans of: Enslaved, Dimmu Borgir, Cradle Of Filth, Carach Angren.
Rating

My rating scale:

1 Star: STAY AWAY. Far away.

2 Stars: Major flaws but you gave it a chance. Destined for the bargain bin.

3 Stars: Overall, it’s ok despite some obvious flaws. Fanboys can get enjoyment out of it it but someone who is more critical may have an issue with it. Buy at a discount or while on sale.

4 Stars: Nearly perfect. A must listen and well suited to add to your collection.

5 Stars: BUY IT NOW, no questions asked. I don’t care if you don’t like [insert genre].

…In Other News…

You can find me on Twitter @TheIbexmoon where I occasionally hang out and discuss music, video games and anything else I find interesting.

-Eric Reeder 3/21/22