Album Review: Agony Kings – Agony Kings (Self Released)

Ten years in the making, the self titled album by New York crossover/thrash band Agony Kings will be released on October 6th 2017.

The band commented: “This record has been 10 years in the making and it is a perfect reflection of the trials and tribulations that have driven us for this last decade. We hope you enjoy it.”

There is no denying the old school sound of this release. Rooted firmly in an era where crossover was growing in popularity. The influences from the likes of Suicidal Tendencies, Anthrax & Cro Mags is undeniable. This album is 13 tracks of no-nonsense, rough intensity played a constant furious pace.

Melody is not the name of the game here with tracks like Born Out of Time, The Grand Mess, Hard Turn & Deadwalk blasting heavy metal riffs & punk-style vocals one after another. Punchy & hook-laden, the tracks fly by in a blur of noise. So much so that you’ll have no choice but to listen to them many times just to take everything in.

As aggressive as it often is, musically it has got a real nice upbeat vibe to it. It’s fast & heavy but not hate-filled. This is music that puts a smile on faces especially when it’s the likes of the excellent title track & the groovy mix of slow & fast in Drowning in the Blood of my Enemies.

The album does suffer from tracks melting into one another making some of the less impressive offerings completely forgettable. Other then the heavy finish of Every Dog Has It’s Day it’s an uneventful track while Slow Demise of Character just falls flat coming at a lull in the albums quality.

The final few tracks turn the noise up to another level. The banging of drums, the crashing of guitars & the devilishly hardcore vocals tie things up in a crusty & dirty looking bow.

Agony Kings – Agony Kings Full Track Listing:

1. Futureburn
2. Born out of Time
3.The Grand Mess
4. Every Dog has it’s Day
5. Pain
6. Hard Turn
7. Agony Kings
8. Drowning in the Blood of my Enemies
9. Deadwalk
10. Slow Demise of Character
11. Kill Yourself
12.Savage Land
13. Heathen

Head over to Facebook and like Agony Kings’ page to keep up to date with the album release & all the band’s news.