AGNOSIS - A Painful Pattern EP review

AGNOSIS - A Painful Pattern EP
Self Released
Genre: Sludge / Doom

This is AGNOSIS's first release since their Hecate EP from 2005 at least that's what the promo info stated. In all honesty this is the first time I've heard of this New York act (sorry guys). Although after a quick info search (I emailed a friend  for an expert opinion) I learned that AGNOSIS started out around a decade ago, has a slew of releases out including various demos, EPs and a full length from 2005 titled Zero which my respected doom scribe friend stated is an unheralded doom sludge classic. He also wrote "oh yeah they're fuckin good". I might as well just leave the room but I've gotta write something other than "oh yeah they're fuckin good" but in all honesty this is pretty fuckin good at least three out of the four cuts on here.

The opener, "The Weight of Distrust", is a four and a half minute instrumental which is a decent enough sludgey psych piece. It's just something which would sit better at the end of a forty minute pummeling then as an intro. That last sentence is important because what comes next is a pummeling. Remember these guys are from New York City so they know full well how to beat the living crap outta ya then leave you bleeding in the gutter. "The Path of Repeated Failures" with it's thunderous plodding bass line and acid burned throat vocals is a beat down even with the SABBATH meets NOLA psych riffs jumping out at it's end. The next cut, the thirteen and a half minute long "Writing by Candlelight", is like 40 WATT SUN with an caustic acid casualty on vocals. Harsh vocals screamed and spited out over a doom gloom precession to the graveyard.

The final cut was a big time surprise as well as being eclectic. The band covers "All Your Sins" from PENTAGRAM's Relentless album and has Dave Sherman, the former bassist from SPIRIT CARAVAN, helping out on vocals. I figured AGNOSIS would slow this down to the point where it would sound like playing the original with a quarter on top of the needle. Instead it sounds like they put a boot on it. It still has that rough reverbed edginess to it. Kinda reminds me of what KILLDOZER did with their cover of "Hush" which is always good to throw on for a few laughs especially at the expense of a classic rock fan. I think the bottom line here is that AGNOSIS needs a new full length because a four song EP isn't enough to capture all of their thunder.

Rating: 4/5

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/agnosis



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