Aggronymph - Till Life Sets us Apart
CD Info
Album: Till Life Sets us Apart
Artist: Aggronymph
Genre: Gothic/electronic/industrial metal
Label: Sugo Music Group
Language: English
Tracks: 5
Total time: 16:44
Rating: 8 of 10
When I first wrote about Aggronymph over a year ago, I mentioned that they were one of the most interesting bands I had heard in a long time. They are like a musical melting pot: they put together all these different sounds and cook up something spectacular, without ever feeling contrived or too “busy”. The ranging styles all seamlessly merge together: you’ve got heavy metal, you have some gothic rock, a little electronica, some industrial, and even some rap from time to time.
Shortly after the release of their 2016 full-length album Far Away as we Fade, Aggronymph has released a 5-track EP, Till Life Sets us Apart. One thing I said in my previous review is that I wished for the band to delve into heavier styles, and to maybe write more “complete” songs (so many of the tracks on Fade felt “unfinished” to me, or as if they had to reach a certain time limit before ending). Unfortunately, this has not seemed to change much; the songs still feel, to me, like they are fading off just as they are beginning to get going! While they have not necessarily gotten “heavier”, either, there is an intensity there that comes through brilliantly, especially on the title track, which features an accompanying video that has a “graphic content” warning, as it is about the deadly perils of drug addiction. This same musical intensity also translates well in the melodic sense, like on the penultimate track, “Moonlight”, which is my favorite. That one is a lovely blend of electronica and gothic, with just a little touch of symphonic to give it that feel of grandiosity. The contrasting male and female vocals of Sai Yang and Elain are quite pleasant; the male vocals are also clean and not too harsh, so they actually complement the female voice rather than competing with her, as so many “beauty and the beast” bands tend to do. The only real “guttural” vocals are heard on the second track, “Chemo”, which is a nice back-and-forth between Elain’s soft voice and Sai Yang’s ferocious harsh voice. The final track, “Like Before!” is a mid-tempo piece that encompasses more of their electronic influences, but is still quite elegant in its melodic loveliness.
Again, Aggronymph continues to keep my interest by creating good music that spans across genres and combines them with finesse and ingenuity. However, the few areas that need improvement are still there; I’d still like to see slightly longer songs that have a complete beginning and end, rather than just fading off at the chorus. If some of these songs went just an extra minute or two, they might sound a little more well-rounded. I would still like to hear slightly heavier songs, too. But, as I have said before, these imperfections are small, and certainly nothing that gets in the way of enjoying the music. The band has just released an album all in Chinese, so I would definitely like to listen to that. Whatever the case, Aggronymph continues to push their own boundaries and try new things; and that is something I am always interested in hearing!
For more information on Aggronymph, visit their official Facebook.
