Christ Agony – Anthems

Christ Agony is an interesting case study, one that we here at Metal Revolution had the great honour of truly getting into the head of a while back when this album was first released – This happened in the shape of a very thorough deep-dive interview conducted by none other than the head honcho of Metal Revolution itself. And while the interview itself was a fascinating read full of details about both the band itself and Anthems as a record, it really is no substitute for experiencing it yourself. As such I was beyond thrilled when I was sent the album, the ninth of its kind under the Christ Agony moniker. But I really am getting ahead of myself.

Christ Agony is a Polish-based Melodic Black Metal trio that can trace its inception back to the nineties (back then known as Union, something that changed to the present, more apt name in 2007). This means that the band not only by their own admission are heavily influenced by the early First and Second Waves of Black Metal; They were part of the latter, helping to shape the overall feel, direction and approach to this new genre in their native Poland from the beginning, serving as clear inspiration for many of the bands to come. And now, twenty-five years later, Christ Agony has released unto the world their ninth Full-length record; A six tracks long affair spanning nearly forty-six minutes entitled, as stated above, Anthems.

By the bands own admission, each track, performance and release are more akin to a ritual in their own right, each track almost taking the shape of sermons; A dark counter-part to the ruminations Polish Catholic Church, by the bands own admission. As such the tracks are inherently anti-established religion, instead delving into the darkness of the human condition, the inevitability of death and melancholy as a state of being; So naturally, my boss was correct in assuming such a release would resonate strongly with me.

That being said however, both Deformeathing Productions (the record label releasing Anthems) as well as the band members themselves have admitted that the record is not merely more of the same. Nine years have passed since Legacy, their last Full-length release (which as also very well received), meaning that the members have grown as individuals and as such, so has the music. The cultural influences such as Tchaikovsky are still present and the music is still unequivocally a Black Metal sermon in six parts – Merely updated to better fit into, as well as guide, the current era of Polish Black Metal, as the link to the full album below can no doubt attest.

Recommended for fans of Samael, Moon, Ancient and Pandemonium.

https://www.facebook.com/ChristAgony

Christ Agony (Poland)