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The Agonist > Five > Reviews
The Agonist - Five

A disappointing regression - 23%

MissMalaise, October 4th, 2016
Written based on this version: 2016, CD, Napalm Records (Digipak, Limited edition)

Five (2016) is the second release after the addition of Vicky Psarakis to the band, and this marks their debut with Napalm Records. With that said, there seems to have been very little improvement from Eye of Providence (2015). I would go as far as to say that this album takes a few steps backwards; while Eye of Providence was restrained with small facets of brilliance that could be developed over time...Five comes across as uninspired and poorly produced for a band that is capable of better.

This isn't to say that everything in Five is unsalvageable and terrible. The Ocean, The Hunt and The Resurrection have particular promise, however, I can't overlook the poor vocals, nor can I dismiss the stark fall in lyric quality ("Tyrannical manacles of the process colossus" Really?). Vicky's vocal abilities have either declined or have been savaged by bad production. Her screams sound raw and painful---and not in an intentional way. The vocal melodies across these songs also feel easily predictable, which is a far cry from their previous releases. Where the band tries to weave in more complex melodies within the vocals (for instance on The Chain), it sounds very hastily put together and unpolished. Gone are the days of artistic cacophony that fans are so used to.

The argument that the band is evolving doesn't hold much water in my opinion. The instrumentation across on most of the album is bland and it lacks the ability to stand out to save the songs from the poor vocals. To put it plainly, everything sounds worse. The once bombastic, thrilling drumming feels lost, the terrific riffs I loved in Prisoners (2012) are absent and the bass seems all but non-existent. Vicky's clean vocals are undoubtedly her strong point, yet still, their use is baffling here. Too often, she comes across as strained, out of her range or plain shrill and nasal. It's not as though she has a terrible voice, as her vocal covers can attest to, but she lacks the ability to craft her own melodies. They simply do not suit her voice, nor do they suit the accompanying music. Five leaves you confused and a little hesitant to play it again.

Perhaps this could have been circumvented with more time in the studio, but I get the feeling that the band has indeed lost a large part of its soul with the departure of Alissa. While the generic feel of Eye of Providence was given a pass as the musicians got to know one another...Five shows that they seem to have very little left to work with in terms of inspiration and lyricism. The raw skill is there---this is evidenced by their previous albums, they seem to lack direction. I have been a fan of this band for almost a decade, and I am left sorely disappointed but in the end, unsurprised. I can only hope they prove me wrong in the future, but their next album will be the first that I am not looking forward to.