Agonist is the first full-length from UK drudgers Latitudes, another of those bands that forces me to retract my disdain for the oversaturated sludge/drone genre, especially all those bands with plural names. This is the follow-up to their Bleak Epiphanies in Slow Motion EP from a couple years back, and I would certainly recommend it to fans of the dirtier side of sludge in the wake of Neurosis and Isis, with a similar sense for minimal aesthetics and insertions of melodic grace, but the occasional grooving rise of Mastodon.Agonist is largely an instrumental album, but the band does use of some wailing vocals on "Antechamber" which create a very cool, keening effect over the broiling, glorious melodies this band creates through walls of bright chords. I almost wish the band used more vocals, because strong tracks such as the climactic "Agonist" or the flowing "Braille" would have been that much stronger with some great lyrics to them. As they stand, they are still entertaining, much more than background noise. The tranquil "Steppe and Veld" and the provocative "Hunting Dance" (which does add a few vocals near the end) are also quite good.
Latitudes is a top notch sounding band, and this is one of the finer produced sludge albums of the year, which only adds to its power, as every note of the album's better riffs does ring and haunt and pleasure the ear. It's a work of peaks and valleys, from the solemnity of its acoustic plucking passages to the intensity of its jarring, post-hardcore rhythms. Agonist is a really strong album that has made an instant admirer of me, but I maintain that a lot of the instrumental tracks long for lyrics to be added. Either way, it's an elegant, poetic work.
Verdict: Win [8.5/10]
http://www.myspace.com/latitudesmusic
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