Agrypnie - Erg (2024)

As one of the most underrated Post-Black Metal bands, Agrypnie has been one of our favorite bands for quite a while thanks to their ‘heavier’ take on the genre. With “Erg”, Torsten and company continue to polish the band’s sound, making it tighter and equally explosive and melodic as before. Having had a wide variety of musicians participate through the history of the band and in the live setting, this outfit features familiar elements from like Heretoir, Harakiri for the Sky, Anomalie, and Theotoxin, but always creating its own unique brand of madness and atmosphere.

Opening with the piercing “Aus rauchlosem Feuer”, we quickly get that duality of melodic and slower interludes with fierce guitars and Torsten’s signature snarl. There are always surprises around the corner, like the dramatic choir arrangements of “Meer ohne Wasser”, or the more solemn and moody nature of “Sturm”. Then, quickly transitioning to instrumental songs, like “Blut” part I, and then back to oozing melancholy with part II. This is certainly one of the specialties of this band.

There is also plenty of fire and brimstone in the band’s tank, with pieces like “Entität” and “Stunde des Wolfes” unleashing all hell with vicious guitars and superb drumming. We personally like the darker and more exploratory side of the band like on “Geister” and its very solemn and restrained tempo. As it is tradition, there are also tons of guest appearances like Phil Jonas (ex-Secrets of the Moon), P.G. (Groza), and Edmond Karban (Dordeduh, ex-Negură Bunget) all on vocals, further adding dynamism to the band’s crafty songs.

Overall, “Erg” is one of those releases that make time stand-still, and while the world continues, it grips the listener to discover all its little details and nuances. If you have never heard of this band before, you are definitely missing out as Agrypnie is one of the few that charts their own path while turning heads from fans of the genre. We are hard to impress, but this release is definitely one that we have been listening non-stop for quite a while, so don’t sleep on it.

Label: AOP Records

Release: Septmeber 13th, 2024

Genre: Post-Black Metal

Country: Germany