If you want to understand the Finnish Death Metal sound of the early ’90s, you look into the damp, claustrophobic darkness of Agonized’s only demo, ‘Gods….’. Active for a mere blink of an eye between 1990 and 1991, this quartet line up of Mauno Roppola in Drums, Mika Hautoniemi in Guitars, Antti Tamminen in Bass, and Seraphim J in Vocals emerged from the ashes of Cadavericmutilator to produce six tracks of absolute filth that remain a benchmark for the scene’s cavernous low end. This demo is badly produced in the most glorious way possible. Don’t expect the astonishing clarity heard in Demigod’s ‘Unholy Domain’ demo from the same time. Rather, it’s a murky thick, impenetrable wall of mid-frequency noise and hissing that creates a brain freezing rotting mass of sound. Strangely enough, this lack of clarity is exactly what makes it alluring and essential.
This began with the queer Intro, then moving to ‘Tortured’, ‘Long Live the New Flesh’, ‘Gods…’ ‘Devour the Saviour’, and ‘Outro’. The demo won’t cover mere 15 minutes all together, yet it would be enough to get blown away with the throughout pummeling compositions carrying forth the signature Finnish low end. Like early Amorphis or Rippikoulu, Agonized relies on a massive punishing low end that feels less like music and more like a tectonic shift. The performance is no frills Death Metal, as there are no flashy solos or progressive detours here. Only heavy, mid paced pummeling and a massive wall of deadly sound, that feels like seeing the apocalypse in front of your shocked eyes. The riffs are dense and malicious sounding even more sinister thanks to the muddy atmosphere. The standout feature is Seraphim J’s vocal performance. His delivery is incredibly low and guttural, reminiscent of the “burpish” depths of Demilich or the inhuman grunts found on Amorphis’s ‘Privilege of Evil’. These vocals don’t sit on top of the music, but they are buried within the grime, working in coherence with the guitars to create a truly rotting experience. Even with modern restorations removing the worst tape anomalies, the sinister spirit of 1991 remains intact. It is a masterclass in primitive, Death Metal that was arguably way ahead of its time. If you worship the completely shocking and awe dropping era of Finnish Death metal, where the rhythms are off kilter and the air is abysmal thick with the scent dampness and a shallow grave, then this demo is mandatory listening.
