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Agatus > Dawn of Martyrdom > Reviews
Agatus - Dawn of Martyrdom

Metal sheds its origins - 97%

we hope you die, May 28th, 2020

One curious feature of black metal’s evolution throughout the 1990s was the fact that most European scenes outside of Norway were actually peddling something relatively accessible, even to untrained ears. Throughout southern and central Europe, old school heavy metal, ghoulish melodrama, and ambitious narrative structures were being married to surprisingly catchy riffs. One comes to wonder why it’s the Norwegian variant that became the most popular, and ultimately grew to define the common notion of what black metal sounds like. Setting aside the obvious murders and arson as the chief reason for this, maybe the time has come to offer a more nuanced understanding of this period. It’s not that any one scene was superior to Norway, or that it was criminally overlooked due to the media attention afforded by the larger than life characters found in the far north, but rather that we should contextualise their output as one among many that were also producing quality work. And these were born of different perspectives and musical traditions, that were then worked into the black metal framework. So let’s dive in shall we.

For an album that harnesses many of these same elements and ends up being a work of a completely different nature, look no further than Dorian’s brother Chris Dorian Kokiousis (or as he should be known: ‘Eskarth the Dark One’) and his project Agatus. Here we find Dimitrios carrying out drums and various other duties on the work of Agatus, including the debut ‘Dawn of Martydom’, also released in 1996. Although we are on much more familiar territory here as far as the Greek ‘sound’ goes, this is a far reaching debut that offers many intrigues to unpack. The production is near perfect for this brand of old school epic metal. Sure there’s plenty of reverb lying around to cloak the thin drums and guitar tone, but this is not applied excessively, nor are the keyboard interludes and intros. Vocals sit in the mid-range and carry an earthy, warm vibe to them that perfectly offsets any potential coldness to the rest of the sound.

This album aspires to the level of epic film scores both in the traditional framing of the melodic core that makes up the riffs, but also in the way the music is rendered at the mixing stage, and the flourishes of keyboards and theatrics that are layered on top of this highly structured music. At times the riffs are made of the most basic three chord progressions, but they serve as either link riffs, or constitute a rich tapestry of narration and logical progressions as this music unfolds. Elegantly simple leads are placed on top of this rock solid foundation, adding new contexts and carrying the music forward into the next progression. Drums provide an almost inhumanly consistent rhythmic framework to facilitate the interplay of the riffs, carrying the music through galloping rhythms or outright blasts depending on the passage. Fills are deceptively complex without detracting from the overall direction of the music.

It’s an album that – along with Varathron’s ‘Walpurgisnacht’ – not only draws influence from the pre-thrash melodic sensibilities of classic heavy metal, but also improves upon them. I mean this not just in the sense that applying them to a more extreme context gives them more power and character. But also by replacing the rock and blues elements still present in the vast majority of heavy metal with pre-modern melodic traditions, this music further sheds metal of the limits and burdens placed on it by contemporary western music, the primordial soup from which it emerged. This makes for a fascinating melting pot of styles which are harnessed into a masterwork of epic black metal.

‘Dawn of Martydom’ is a breath-taking work of epic metal that deserves a more prominent place in posterity than the one afforded it. There are few out there that can boast such a consistently engaging, varied, and ambitious work of metal.

Originally published at Hate Meditations

A Scandinavian postcard arrives in Athens - 63%

autothrall, July 8th, 2011

Oddly enough, I know a small number of individuals who prize this debut album, and its successor The Weaving Fates (from 2002) as two of the finest hours in all European black metal. Not only Greece, mind you, but the whole damned continent. While I am inclined to disagree with any such notion, I just find the sentiment striking: surely everything the band performs on Dawn of Martyrdom is pretty much par for the course from this genre in the mid-90s, with riffing streams that rarely evoke surprise, strong but standard drum work, the typical Greek flare for dramatic but uninspiring keyboard presentations and a powerful but ultimately futile frontman.

Now, Agatus might sound better put together, at least for its time, than the other bands the members were involved with (primarily Zemial), but this is about the best thing I can say for them. Okay, maybe not: it's gotta be the outrageous tags the members used, like Eskarth the Dark One, Archon Vorskaath, and Prince Korthnage. All far more involved and barbaric than the usual handles being adopted by their northern kin. Dawn of Martyrdom is pretty much the definition of 'stock black metal', with not a single riff in about 51 minutes that goes anywhere you wouldn't expect it to. Think of the band as a merger of the core principles in the Greek scene (slower, glorious movements and melodies, plenty of synthesizer, and simple leads) and the Viking-like grandeur of bands like post-'88 Bathory, Enslaved and Immortal, and you've got a pretty clear picture of what they were attempting to accomplish.

There are plenty of rigorous, stomping open chord sequences as in "Force of Desecration" that scrawl at a mid pace, and then faster, more driving segments in "Emerge...Through My Diabolic Possession" or "Demons of the Great Kingdom", not to mention the clean guitar, ambient segues like "When the Macabre Dance Begins"; so Agatus is nothing if not mildly diverse in approach, and that trait lends itself well to the overall solidarity of the debut. The vocals are cast in the standard, malicious mold reminiscent of Quorthon (circa Blood Fire Death), but they never take the album to quite the next level. I'd credit Dawn of Martyrdom for having what must have been among the best production in Greece at the time, and the album trumps its neighbors Thy Mighty Contract, Non Serviam and His Majesty at the Swamp in at least that regard, but the writing in general is bland and forgettable, and nowhere near as 'diabolic' as the band seems to wish an impression upon its audience.

You may not have heard this album a thousand times before 1994, but you've certainly heard it since, and the chronological positioning of the Agatus debut in no way makes it remarkable enough to live up to its hype. Compare the album to In the Nightside Eclipse, Frost, Pure Holocaust or even For All Tid and it comes up short. However, it is hardly torment to listen through, it was massive sounding for the time, and if you are interested in something decidedly Greek with huge hints of the Scandinavian scene involved, it was perhaps the one place you could actually turn to. You'll also want to beware the No Colours 'bootleg'; unfortunately the one I'm reviewing, which has incorrect song titles even if they were nice enough to tack on the band's 1993 demo. Also, if it ever came down to a choice between both Agatus full-lengths, go with The Weaving Fates: the atmosphere there is somewhat less grandiose, but the writing is better and the guitar tone adds a lot of punch to the melodies.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Hellenic Black Metal Glory - 97%

CannibalCorpse, November 22nd, 2006

Agatus were one of the earlier Greek Black Metal bands and still belonged to the first wave of Hellenic BM. Formed in 1992, Agatus released their first demo "Night of the Dark Ages" in 1993, which already showed great potential and was a good showcase of what they were up to; Around a time where both Rotting Christ and Varathron released their highly-respected debuts, Agatus turned into a different direction.

Agatus' focus lies not in utilizing fast, often harmonized tremolopicked leads and riffs, instead they form their ideas around power chords, which are used in many different speeds and forms. They are supported by more typical, but well understandable Black Metal vocals, as well as by traditional Hellenic keyboards. Even synth flutes appear (think of Necromantia) here and there.

Agatus' riffs are amazingly well written. Even though they are not overly technical, they amaze with great chord progressions, intense memorability and a vast amount of catchiness. Two tracks here ("When the Macabre Dance Begins", “Nostalgia”) are completely acoustic and feature some of the best string work I've ever heard. Again, no amazing technical skills used here, but I've never felt so much like being back in the medieval times. Think of "Dark Medieval Times", but just a hundred times more effective (and yes, I even like that album!)

Another point must be given to the drumming. It's skilled, furious, heavy and varied. The best drumming I've heard on any oldschool Greek BM album yet, by far. Sure, the competition is not that great (since lots of the early bands used drum-computers) but trust me, this guy knows his kit very well. Thundering doublebass, high-speed blastbeats and folky beats, everything here.

"Dawn of Martyrdom" is a Greek Black Metal masterpiece and will send your mind right back to the middle ages. Great songwriting, great musicians and strong songs will guide you on your way.

Recommended to all fans of the more extreme side of metal.

Highlights:

Under the Spell of the Dragon
Demons of the Great Kingdom
When the Macabre Dance Begins
Spirits from the Depths of the Earth
Nostalgia

Excellently written Greek bm in the '90s - 90%

Byrgan, August 24th, 2006

Greek mythology can be enriching to read. Take Zeus with his control over Mount Olympus. Along with his brothers Poseidon and Hades, who also shared their own important roles. Together they were gods of the vast sea, the grim underworld and the glorious sky. Even they were spawned from something greater. Their father was Cronus and upon birth he actually ate almost all of them until later spit up. Likewise, these three would create such amazing creations themselves, which would unfold many more interesting stories. Most of us have heard these characters and their tales before. They are nothing new to our tongues and ears, but, then again, it brings back an old feeling repeating them. Let's take advantage and add a twist to where this country came from and what we've learned up till now. Nothing too far out of the ordinary, but a meld of old and new vibes. A kind of tale where the past comes alive with a modern feeling.

Unfolding this account, the band Agatus originally has blood ties to Greece and started turning historic pages in the early nineties. This is when other notable Hellenic metal acts were at the same time releasing monumental albums. Agatus and the band Zemial share members. Both groups play different tunes than some other infamous country mates. Some elements from Rotting Christ, Thou Art Lord and Necromantia come about, and also part of the sound they have comes from recording in Storm Studio. There are also areas where Agatus bring out nostalgic influence and give us their taste of Bathory's "The Return" and "Under the Sign of the Black Mark." Except they play tighter, faster and with less emphasis on palm mutes than Bathory.

Upon first listen, "Dawn of Martyrdom" is one of those surprisingly great finds that unfortunately didn't get mass printed copies. Underlined, it contains subtle hints of keyboards to add built-up climaxes. Then there are folk-like interludes, containing acoustic guitars as well as simulated flute, horns and tambourine to clench this particular type of ancient atmosphere. Overtop, they maintain a black metal side that can range from savage to melodic.

The main music has tendency to be carried by the guitars. They can be played simplistically, but at the same time dish out plenty of different modes of memorable, thought-through rhythms. These electric strings play a decent amount of faster tremolo sections, which can be mesmerizing when sustained, and then often when in this repetitious mode have another instrument take some of the reins in its place. On certain songs, there are two guitar tracks with some separate rhythms going at once. They seldom use palm mutes but carry out a fair share of single notes and faster strummed chords. What's great about the song writing is how they can blend together savageness with melody. More of his riffs are thicker and in the way of aggressive, but at times they can use higher accented strings and it doesn't sound out of place. The vocals are something of a raspy scream with an emphasis on coming from the throat instead of the gut. The projection has tendency to be a tad more pronounced than some other bands, with his words occasionally coming through with some audible translation. The keyboards, on the other hand, are a subtlety to the music. For instance, the song might work up to them with a certain effect to peak a particular moment in a song, such as choir or more unguessable effects with a stand-out higher or lower tone. The drumming maximizes the music with a certain amount of heaviness. Double bass is included quite frequently and with pounding force. Vorskaath peaks at a blast beat, but he also includes other various tempo changes to guide the music in different directions.

This album is surprisingly well written and has each instrument getting a chance to play their own part to the overall dark scheme. Whether it's the interlaced interludes, climatic and subtle keyboards, impacting vocals, memorable guitar lines, level drum sound, the band is able to put it all together with very little that gets in their way. There are just a few minor areas that could have used some more of the various change-ups the band consistently delivers, since some of these said portions might be a little basic with a primitive guitar line and the drums going for a repeated structure, then all but the vocalist rasping overtop.

"Dawn of Martyrdom" isn't going for the most technical or out-there experimental vibes. It has some dramatic license and an epic feel to it. Agatus on occasion back track to an earlier metal scene and give some praise to fore-fronting bands like Bathory. Though this has its own separated personality and the ability to put all of the elements together effectively. Unfortunately, "Dawn of Martyrdom" didn't get its own deserved praise due to limited distribution. Still, keep a look out for this one.