Album Review: Agarthic - The Inner Side

Sometimes it feels like there are certain things that have to be done, if for no other reason than everyone already expects them. So rather than disappoint people by not delivering on something they will then criticize for being too predictable, they instead become all too predictable and give their project the air of being overly derivative. When it comes to symphonic metal, there are two things that feel almost inevitable at this point; wasting time, and guest vocals from Fabio Lione.

I don't know why every musician who uses orchestral or symphonic elements in their music considers themselves to be 'composer', and therefore thinks they are making high art. Turning the setting on a keyboard from a piano or organ to a string patch isn't anything to write home about. But like so many of those people, the musicians behind Agartha talk of how the music will 'tell stories', and how it will 'take you on a thrilling journey'. It doesn't, and it won't. Agartha's music is your standard non-progressive prog metal, albeit with a less fake sounding keyboard tone.

What gets my dander up is how their talk fails to be materialized. "The Ancient Secret Scroll" is the first real song on the album, and it's actually really good. It has a strong melody that sits in a lower range than a lot of this kind of music, and it's a rather rousing little number. Except for the fact that the symphonic bits are limited mostly to a wash of non-guitar playing root notes in the background. They aren't put to much use, other than as a filter to change our perception. Adding more detail to a good song doesn't always make it better. Sometimes it just gets muddy as more shiny candy is put on that only confuses our ears.

As the record continues to unfold, we get that attitude carrying over to the main thrust of the songs as well. The melodies flatten out and become more pleasant sounds drawn out, as opposed to hooks that anchor these songs as they float on by. Like a dirigible that misses its docking point, they make for a nice sight as they move along, and eventually they run out of air and fall in on themselves. That's a more entertaining way of saying there isn't a lot of meat on these bones. The songs largely aren't very memorable.

With the full metal band and the washes of various synths playing nearly all the time, there is also very little dynamics in the mix, leaving everything rather flat and loud, which becomes quite fatiguing before the album's hour long running time comes to an end. It's trying to be epic, but the grandeur of something properly sweeping and grand is missing. It actually sounds smaller and chintzier for the amount of effort everyone is putting in.

If you're looking for a late year gem to fill out your own list of favorites, or to pass some of the lull before 2022 kicks into gear, this probably isn't going to be the right album. It has some promise, and the one great song, but the other shortcomings are too hard for me to look past to say it's worth spending an entire hour's listening.