Sarastus – Agony Eternal

Ixone

Ever ended up in that situation when you know an album is going to be good just because the band’s discography is flawless? If you haven’t I only have one word to say to you: Sarastus. Despite it appearing like my bias for Finnish Black Metal is doing the talking again (I am too stubborn to just stop pretending that I don’t start drooling when I see that exact tag), I think that the response to their latest record, Agony Eternal indicates that I haven’t lost the plot quite completely.

            Now leaving the mostly irrelevant rambling aside, is Agony Eternal worth listening to? Short answer: Yes. Now the reasons why it is so are a whole different topic. At a first look, the album is not at all flashy. Yes, the album artwork is definitely eye-catching, with its rich red and gold hues, but the imagery itself doesn’t break the standard for black metal satanic artwork in may ways. A flame, yes, but not a forest fire (yet). What ends up actually pouring the gasoline on said flame is, of course, the music. Right from the first track, Agony Eternal exudes intensity, occasionally expanded upon by the fleeting grandeur of some epic riff, and the opening track “Gravelust” wastes no time driving said point home. Moreover, it got me motivated to find some way to see them live in the future, because there’s no way I’m going to get old, kick the bucket and miss it.

            Diving a little further into the guitar work, it becomes noticeable rather soon that it is definitely on the more detailed side, incorporating a wide variety of melodies and interesting patterns. Want an actual example? Look no further than “Where Cruelty Never Ends”. A misanthropy infused track that exudes touching notes of melancholy, driven forward by the slower pace and said riffs, along with the gut wrenching vocal performance of the late Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder, a surprise, for sure, but a welcome one. Built around a main musical idea and its several variations, the track builds seamlessly on top of this foundation is order to create a powerful and organic track, with an enviable flow.

           

All of this being said, the vocal performance is by far the most striking element of the album, featuring several techniques, ranging all the way from more traditional to more unorthodox ones, and even clean singing occasionally. The frequent alternations between all of these vocal styles do a great part in detailing the soundscape, simultaneously drawing attention to the instrumental and leaving a strong mark on the listener (at least according to personal experience). To be more precise, I would say that the distinctive shouts used as a passage between the screeching and the clean singing are the ones that create the strongest impression, due to their unique execution and timing in the record. Along with that, it would be a disservice to the album not to mention the drum work, which is, as is typical of the band, really tight and high standard. Generally, one needs to be truly skilled in order to play extreme metal drums properly, but there are few who manage to perfect it. That being said, Anzillu is one of said drummers, and songs such as “Metamorphosis” and “Towards Eternity” are a testament to that.

            All of these being said, I am unable to complain about anything going on on Agony Eternal, since it is exactly what I was hoping for when the band announced they were working on a new record. However, feel free to go on and form your opinion, heck, that’s why I’m writing this in the first place. At this point I feel like my writing tone is getting annoying, so I will just leave you with that previous statement. Hopefully future reviews will spare you of my fangirling.

Label: Dominance of Darkness

Release date: 1 July, 2025

Website: www.facebook.com/sarastusjaikuisuus

Country: Finland

Score: 4.5/5.0 (I had to nerf Ixone‘s score because 5/5 is against the rules!)