ALBUM REVIEW: Echoes In Eternity – Agnostic Front
Hardcore fans rejoice! We are currently in a time in which hardcore and all kinds of genres ending in core seem to be at the forefront of the musical zeitgeist. From the likes of KNOCKED LOOSE and TURNSTILE giving more mainstream access to the genre, there are still a plethora of bands that can easily go toe to toe with either of those. One in particular is AGNOSTIC FRONT who are back for the first time in six years with their Gladiator inspired album titled Echoes In Eternity and spoiler alert, it’s fucking great.
From the off, Echoes In Eternity means business. Way Of War is a truly incendiary opener that combines the fury of MOTÖRHEAD and the groove metal stylings of PANTERA to deliver a track that truly means business. A cavalcade of swirling guitars and pounding drums set the standard for the rest of the album and what an opener it is, and the fun has only just started. You Say follows on with a wonderful metal style riff that builds up and builds up before the raucous fast paced nature returns and brings a truly delectable bounce to it that will have you banging your head along in no time as it falls into more of a punk style towards its end. Up next is the longest track on the album, coming in at a staggering 2 minutes and 25 seconds (!) with A Matter of Life & Death. The fierce riffs remain but a hip hop edge joins in during the verses which gives the album an interesting edge, it perhaps is one of the more generic sounding albums on the record but that is not an issue, the fun remains and the yearning to be two stepping in a mosh pit all battered and bruised is stronger than ever.
Bursting into the fray is early album highlight, Tears For Everyone. A thrashy and scintillating offering with excellent and fun gang vocals that will have you shouting along no matter where you’re listening to it. The track itself barrages towards its end before switching up and changing into one of the best breakdowns you’ll have heard in ages. Do a circle pit on your own or get your pets and nan involved during this tune, everyone will have fun listening to it. The heaviness remains as the album shows no signs of slowing down and we’re given a sort of breather with Divided that brings this albums political nature to the forefront tackling themes of misinformation and political divisions, its sobering but good to know that AGNOSTIC FRONT are on the right side of history. Sunday Matinee becomes another great highlight echoing 1970s/1980s punk energy with great gang vocals and chants that go hand in hand with a wonderful punchy riff, leading into another punk inspired offering with I Can’t Win. Around the half way point, the metal inspirations come back to the forefront with Turn Up The Volume and the forty second blast beat let Art of Silence. Shots Fired begins our journey toward the album’s end with a riff heavy offering that tows a fine line of balancing metal and punk making a wonderful combination of the two.
It’s amazing that AGNOSTIC FRONT can keep up their energy throughout this record because you think you’d be worn out by its eleventh song, but worry not, they do not. Hell To Pay is one of the heavier tracks on the record and somehow manages to ramp up the intensity with its unrelenting nature and powerful sonic bombardment. Seeing the album revert back into its punk style is Evolution Of Madness, a song that is well, mad and clocks in at just over a minute as it pummels you left right and centre with its hardcore goodness. Skip The Trial shakes up proceedings a little with some great guitar solos which you could say have been lacking on the record and gives it a fresh feeling after a plethora of heavy riffs. Obey and Eyes Wide Open go hand in hand perfectly as the last two tracks of the record, both being mosh pit inducing anthems that will have no issue starting any when seen live. By the time you reach the end, you’re ready and eager to start the whole thing again, maybe rest up between listens so all you older hardcore fellas don’t do your back in.
For a band that have gone through multiple line up changes and are on their thirteenth album, you’d think that they’d be feeling a little stagnant and tired these days. That is very much not the case with Echoes In Eternity. It is the true tour de force of an album which wears its heart on its sleeve with pride. Echoes In Eternity holds the spirit of hardcore and creates a fun, no holds barred listen that shakes you to your core but is an abundance of fun throughout, it is not to be missed.
Rating: 8/10
Echoes In Eternity is out now via Reigning Phoenix Music.
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