Agrypnie celebrates its twentieth anniversary with a seventh album.
Named Erg, it comes out on AOP Records three years after the previous one, and does Torsten (vocals/guitar/bass/keyboards, Nocte Obducta, Theotoxin, The Wreckage of Erebus) and Flo (drums, Theotoxin, Demersus ad Nihilum, Schirenc plays Pungent Stench) proud.
Aus rauchlosem Feuer kicks off the album with an assumed darkness that emerges slowly at first, then surrounds us almost ritualistically, before breaking through with Phil Jonas (Crone, Secrets of the Moon). The two vocalists each lend a share of their tortured souls to this gripping composition, which literally boils over, although there is a brief lull before the reprise, leading into Meer ohne Wasser and its melancholic dissonance. The composition remains relatively soothing, and the misty melodies don’t hesitate to be more discreet, letting drums present more complex patterns and carry us to Sturm, where the rain awaits us to embark on this surge. Edmond Karban (Dordeduh, ex-Negura Bunget) breathes his fury into the rhythm section, which suffocates us until the final, when a moment’s respite awaits us before facing Blut – Teil I, a dark introduction to Blut – Teil II, where the musicians reunite with P.G. (Groza), with whom they will develop their grim impressive sound that descends upon us without mercy. The sound slows down before the last wave, then lets Entität take over, first with a reassuring gentleness, then with a veritable double-kick roll on which the other instruments anchor themselves to give birth to their rage and this ambient sadness. There’s a certain aggressiveness to the track, but it subsides with the keyboards and the break, but eventually comes back to haunt the rhythm before returning on Stunde des Wolfes, where the contrast between rage and appeasement is also very present, especially in the guitars. Back to calm with Geister, a quasi-instrumental creation that erupts once, then runs out of steam again before starting up again more intensely with a few plaintive vocal parts, then Unter Sand once again disturbs our minds with a sound that starts out abrasive, then becomes haunting, offering refuge to ominous murmurs and heady leads that sink into the darkness until the lights go out, bringing the album to a close.
Agrypnie‘s albums are generally complex, requiring several listens to grasp all their nuances, and Erg is no exception to the rule. New shades of darkness are discovered and rediscovered time and again through the duo’s gripping riffs, and it’s a real treat every time.
95/100