Agos – Aonian Invocation

Agos, written in their native Greek as ‘ΑΓΟΣ’ roughly translated into either ‘Miasma’ or ‘Cures by the gods’. Whether this is meant to represent the sole musician behind the band himself or someone else is unclear, but it does with together very well with the themes found abound across the album Aonian Invocation – The first Full-length album from Agos, containing seven tracks, spanning a grand total of forty-three minutes.

These seven tracks, carrying names such as ”Death to all False Oaths” and ”Trojan Desolation” are massively influenced by the occult and mythologies of the past; And it would seem, in no small part Greek mythology as well as those, it influenced (a logical choice given that Agos is a Greek band).

Now, musically I was blown away by the Death/Black Metal approach that Agos took in order to create his music – Not because it is by any stretch of the definition new or innovative, but due to how well executed it is. At no point did it feel forced or as one of the genres playing second fiddle to the other – Instead Aonian Invocation has managed to create an excellent blend of the two, something many bands have tried over the years but rarely succeed in pulling off as well as this.

Tracks such as ”Trojan Desolation” even pours in some traditional music styles (in this case a woman vocalising and a single hand-held drum) in order to further fuse the overall feel of the album with a sense of something far older, far more grand, all without losing focus of what it actually is – A stroll through some parts of myth and legend, concealed as musical entertainment.

Now, the track I want to particularly high-light from this release is the opening act, entitled ”Through the Strait of Messina” – In this case not only because I enjoy the legend associated with it, that of Scylla and Carybdis, but because it starts ‘in medias res’ as it were, showcasing what a single talented and dedicated musician with a passion can do when left to their own devices with just enough ressources to reach their goal.

Recommended for fans of Rotting Christ – Some notable kinsmen.

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