This is the third album from Finnish black metallers Sarastus.
Agony Eternal contains 42 minutes of material, and is brought to us by current/ex-members of Iron Harvest and Order of Nosferat. Sarastus unleash their classic black metal might in no uncertain terms across these nine songs. It’s Finnish melodic black metal, played with cold fury and a fiery heart.
The songs are well-written and ripe with hooks. Sarastus have a melodic potency that’s powerful, but also memorable and engaging. The music is aggressive and intense, but has a keen sense of blackened dynamics and a strong grasp what works best for the band’s song-focused vision. Sarastus seem better than most at unleashing their dark ferocity with passionate zeal, while also keeping it in check just enough to make for music that’s catchier than most.
Agony Eternal has good flow and structure. It’s traditional in nature, but somehow seems vibrant and alive, in a frostbitten, malevolent way. This ultimately comes from just being a superior example of how this sort of black metal can be done. This encompasses all aspects of the music, including the vocals; like everything else here, these are well-performed, above average, and vividly rendered in well-rounded form, (one song also boasts a guest slot from Trevor Strnad, (The Black Dahlia Murder)).
If you like your black metal played in the Finnish tradition, with plenty of hostile aggression and melodic depth, then you won’t want to miss out on Agony Eternal. Quite simply, this is premier quality black metal, so make sure you check out Sarastus.
Essential listening.
Wonderbox Metal 