Review by Alex on November 15, 2018.

Sometimes I want to kick myself for discovering great bands late in their career and Agregator is one of those bands. Having been active since 1997 with a span of 4 demos, 2 Eps and 5 albums I'm so angry that I am only now finding the band. Agregator play a gothic style of melodic death metal and they do a fine job at it on their 2017 entry, Semmiből, a semmin át. Whilst going through a list of promos I thought to myself “hmmm that artwork looks dark, what could this possibly be?” Little did I know I was about to discover one of the hidden gems in the melodic death metal genre and metal as a whole. After hearing the very first track, I took to The Metal Archives and began my investigation of the band. “How did Agregator remain underground for so long?” is what I immediately thought after seeing their activity over the last 17 years. It's unfair that other bands not nearly as gifted as Agregator are signed and receive support to this day despite releasing lack-luster material, material that doesn't even qualify at the Karaoke level. I digress before I wander off into a rant about over-saturation and its negative effects in the metal scene. Imagine Swedish melodic death metal merged with elements of metal-core and gothic metal; given the artists behind the compositions are competent (in which they more than are in Agregators’ case) what you'll get is a highly addicting and memorable injection of melodic death/gothic metal entrancement. 

From the first track “Vérnász” which roughly translates to “From Nothing to Nothing”, Agregator’s ability to compose catchy riffs and choruses is immediately put on a glaring exhibition. The guitar work has a touch of both elegance and rhythmic adhesion, it flows well with the drumming and does not break the trance for needless intervention during the playing time of the record. Thus being said, it must be pointed out that the better half of the album is the A side. The songwriting is stronger early on with lots of memorable choruses and guitar combinations/harmonies happening on tracks such as “Vérnász “, “Hol a senki jár” and “Az égő bokrok kertje”. Those songs are so strong that some songs on the B side of the record seemed incomparable even though they are still very good tunes in which “Nem Hizem” is the definite highlight of the B side. Some tracks on the B side even reused chord structures/patterns of the A side to finalize the closing segments of Semmiből, a semmin át, just to reinstate how tough the A side is on the record. The most prolific feelings on the record are that of melancholy, pessimism and compassion; they are adequately and convincingly represented through both the deep growls, tone and lyrical content which when translated, seem to tackle dark thoughts and feelings mixed with a slight sense of romanticism. All these aspects of the music is mixed well with each other to create a toggle of emotional content throughout the listening experience. 

The track “Az egésztől innen, mindenen túl” which roughly translates to “From All Over Here, Beyond Everything”? According to Google Translate, is a track written in memory of Roland Liviczki whom was Agregator’s bass player that passed away in the year 2012; guest musicians from bands such as Dalridia, Reason, CasketGarden and Niburta amongst many others, including a group named The Sinner Choir which was composed of Roland Liviczki's friends and friends of the band. The track has a feeling of progression and pride; given the lyrics seem to honor Roland Liviczki by giving a brief introspective of the individual. There is a particular lyrical text that when translated to English goes, “It does not have to be a good word And you do not have to take it”; when I read it, immediately it made me think of bands that make metal because they are passionate and motivated by a vision/dream that is not propelled by financial success or critical acclaim. So regardless of what the reviewers say, write or think, the passion to carry on and make music that the band and supporters of the band’s/bands music can relate to and appreciate wholeheartedly will always exist regardless. It is for that reason I think Agregator is such an underrated band, they are a humble bunch deserving of much more than they are given by this over-saturated genre of music that makes it ever so difficult to find worthwhile bands. Semmiből, a semmin át is an album that is a journey through multiple emotions, it is engaging and provokes deep thought and analysis, it is a record that upon first encounter will remain stuck in your memory for a very long time. Speaking of which, I don't know the Hungarian language, yet I have found myself singing along to some of the tracks. The replay-ability is high and time goes by quickly when listening, thanks the highly immersive guitar riffs, drum patterns and clean production highlighting Agregator's strengths. I hope there is more to come from Agregator in the future given this criminally under-appreciated work.

Favorite tracks: 

"Vérnász"

"Hol a senki jár"

"Az égő bokrok kertje"

"Mivégre?"

"Nem hiszem"

Rating: 8.1 out of 10

Review by Felix on April 30, 2019.

The modern times are horrible in terms of politics, climate change and religious insanity, but there is one thing that really helps me to go on. It seems as if the metallic underground never stops to spit out new, competent bands. Here we have a Czech battalion and I hate to see that their album is released only on a Czech label I have never heard of. Given this situation, I am not surprised that I do not find a German mail order that has it on stock. Even the metal underground is not immune against horrible details.

However, Murder Inc. invite the listener to a nerve-racking orgy of thrash. I am not speaking about the overly precise, filigree, relatively melodic and sometimes a little bit lame kind of thrash that formations like Heathen have brought into our musical cosmos. Murder Inc. love to use the crowbar. The ten tracks sound wild, atrocious and uncompromising and not only their fastest parts have a mind-boggling effect. Especially the short adrenaline rush on the seventh position confirms this thesis in a matter of seconds. But there are many more pieces that send a clear message. Murder Inc. push the envelope of what's possible - nevertheless, they avoid sounding predictable or one-dimensional. There is enough diversity to keep the listener under tension and that's a good thing, even though the surprisingly soft intro of "Smrtihlav" and its equally relaxed ending seem to be small accidents.

These unexpected and pretty misplaced moments of lenience aside, the material nearly blows me away. An overdose of energy fights with merciless aggression and, as strange as this may sound, both sides leave the battlefield as winners. Albums like this one provide evidence that the current product of Kreator and similar outputs are nothing else but an act of betrayal, because they take the untamed spirit of thrash metal ad absurdum. However, speaking of Mille, Ventor and the other once adventurous guys, "Pleasure to Kill" is a comparable work which could have had an influence on the Czech ruffians while composing their songs. The vehemence reaches a very similar degree. Subtle nuances are for pussies. (I guess my wording brutalizes. Sorry for that but listening to this album has an effect on me...)

The full-length clocks in at 33 minutes - and everything is laid waste. Although Murder Inc. do not shy away from any form of violence, they do not offer a typical thrash / death metal cocktail. The formation keeps the fingers away from death metal tools such as low-tuned guitars or extremely deep vocals. The rumbling attacks hail the old, mostly European school of thrash while waiving all technical tricks. Consequently, very narrow-minded supporters of the Bay Area thrash formula will probably not enjoy this debut. But I like the impulsive force of the guitars, the stimulating hammering of the snare and the yelping hoarse dog that calls himself lead vocalist. No doubt, there is a lot of potential and we will be well advised to keep an eye on the further evolution of this insane horde.

Rating: 8.2 out of 10

Review by Felix on June 22, 2019.

You know the story of the two sides of the coin, don't you? Black metal from Québec is one of these coins. Some say that all bands have the same sound and the same approach, but others are of the opinion that these bands have created a new style under the banner of "métal noir québécois". Well, maybe it's no new style, but an unmistakable identity. Délétère play exactly the style that everybody has in mind when it comes to the francophone Canadian metropolis. Sound cascades like waterfalls take possession of the listener and draw her or him into a nightmarish scenario. Almost overlong song patterns and guitar lines which are sometimes repetitive but always effective set the right frame for a trip to the end of time and back.

Délétère are not lazy and therefore they deliver three new songs, even though their last album is just eleven months old. That's a remarkably short period, but who wants to stop creative people as long as they write fanatic black metal tunes? Me not. Speaking of creativity, the promo sheet wants to make us believe that "Délétère distills its very own essence of powerful, raw, and melodic black metal", but to mention a very own essence is ridiculous. As mentioned above, the opposite is true. The formation does not hurt the guidelines of the sub-genre and I enjoy it the way it is. The three tracks cover all facets of MNQ movement and the profound, alternating anthemic or fast guitar lines prevent any form of boredom. Of course, the bar has been set very high by De Horae Leprae, but the EP is willing and - nearly - able to challenge this mighty album. Sacral keyboards add an atmospheric touch and lend the opener an eldritch touch. However, the band mostly prefers fast sequences, in short, the here presented songs exactly follow the route that the band's previous material has already taken. Fans of the former outputs can buy this work blindly.

Maybe the last ounce of currishness is missing and the religious yet ill-fated character of De Horae Leprae does not reappear in full bloom. Nevertheless, all songs convince and the threatening guitars at the beginning and the end of "Milites Pestilentiae III – Babylonia Magnissima" create some of the best moments of the EP. However, Theovorator: Babelis Testamentum is immune against feeble parts and its playtime of roughly 20 minutes is not too long, to say the least. The appropriate, dense sound completes the picture. Forteresse beware, because Délétère have the potential to pen a full-length which could oust "Thémes pour la rébellion" from the throne. Either way, Québec can be proud of triggering the most exciting wave in terms of present extreme metal. And that's exactly the reason why I forget the other side of the coin right now.

Rating: 8.3 out of 10

Review by Felix on June 22, 2019.

You know the story of the two sides of the coin, don't you? Black metal from Québec is one of these coins. Some say that all bands have the same sound and the same approach, but others are of the opinion that these bands have created a new style under the banner of "métal noir québécois". Well, maybe it's no new style, but an unmistakable identity. Délétère play exactly the style that everybody has in mind when it comes to the francophone Canadian metropolis. Sound cascades like waterfalls take possession of the listener and draw her or him into a nightmarish scenario. Almost overlong song patterns and guitar lines which are sometimes repetitive but always effective set the right frame for a trip to the end of time and back.

Délétère are not lazy and therefore they deliver three new songs, even though their last album is just eleven months old. That's a remarkably short period, but who wants to stop creative people as long as they write fanatic black metal tunes? Me not. Speaking of creativity, the promo sheet wants to make us believe that "Délétère distills its very own essence of powerful, raw, and melodic black metal", but to mention a very own essence is ridiculous. As mentioned above, the opposite is true. The formation does not hurt the guidelines of the sub-genre and I enjoy it the way it is. The three tracks cover all facets of MNQ movement and the profound, alternating anthemic or fast guitar lines prevent any form of boredom. Of course, the bar has been set very high by De Horae Leprae, but the EP is willing and - nearly - able to challenge this mighty album. Sacral keyboards add an atmospheric touch and lend the opener an eldritch touch. However, the band mostly prefers fast sequences, in short, the here presented songs exactly follow the route that the band's previous material has already taken. Fans of the former outputs can buy this work blindly.

Maybe the last ounce of currishness is missing and the religious yet ill-fated character of De Horae Leprae does not reappear in full bloom. Nevertheless, all songs convince and the threatening guitars at the beginning and the end of "Milites Pestilentiae III – Babylonia Magnissima" create some of the best moments of the EP. However, Theovorator: Babelis Testamentum is immune against feeble parts and its playtime of roughly 20 minutes is not too long, to say the least. The appropriate, dense sound completes the picture. Forteresse beware, because Délétère have the potential to pen a full-length which could oust "Thémes pour la rébellion" from the throne. Either way, Québec can be proud of triggering the most exciting wave in terms of present extreme metal. And that's exactly the reason why I forget the other side of the coin right now.

Rating: 8.3 out of 10