Album Review: Lullabies for the Dormant Mind

now playing: The Agonist - Void of Sympathy

It may not come as a surprise that I am not the biggest fan of genres that end in "death" or "core". Why, then, am I reviewing Canadian melodeath/metalcore band The Agonist's sophomore album, Lullabies for the Dormant Mind? Patience. I first saw The Agonist in 2007 as they were opening for Sonata Arctica. I didn't entirely understand why a thrash band would be opening for a power/prog band, but now that I've actually listened to The Agonist as they sound in the studio, I understand it a lot better. Everything sounded like noise during the live shows (and I'm sure the venues were at least partially responsible for this), including the melodic aspects that I didn't even know were there. The only thing that really stuck out was vocalist Alissa White-Gluz, and even then, it was because I thought she was trying much too hard to sound like Angela Gossow of Arch Enemy.

Still, they weren't terrible live, so I bought a little poster, hung it on my wall, and proceeded to forget about them almost entirely. Until, that is, a couple weeks ago, when my good friend Jordan "Hawk" Munson hooked me up with a prerelease copy of Lullabies. In preparation for this review, I took a listen to their first album, Once Only Imagined. I knew I had heard several of the songs on the album before, but none of them sounded the least bit familiar. I found myself actually enjoying what I was hearing, now that I was finally able to decipher melodies and hear White-Gluz's skillful growling and singing both. So many nuances are lost in a live performance.

And this brings me to the album in question. Lullabies for the Dormant Mind is positively riddled with such nuances that would be lost without an amazing stage setup. But let's start with the obvious, shall we? Just from looking at the album artwork, I guessed that bands like Nightwish provided at least some influence for the way The Agonist would sound on this album. It only took one track to prove me right; almost immediately, I noticed White-Gluz creating a delicate balance between Angela Gossow's rip-your-throat-out growling and highly melodic, occasionally operatic vocals that err more on the Anette Olzon side of Nightwish. The shifts between the two styles kept my attention and built some excellent tension; by the end of "...and Their Eulogies Sang Me to Sleep", I wanted to go out and break some faces -- and that's only the second track. But of course, White-Gluz can't do it alone; she's aided by bass-heavy drumming from Simon McKay, guitar that is at once both thick and melodious courtesy of Danny Marino (not to be confused with the equally thick but slightly less melodious football player), and nigh-virtuosic bass lines from Chris Kells. The lineup seems perfectly balanced.

But what's this? The subtle addition of piano and strings for flavor? No, that isn't quite enough. After all, the last album had that, too. What makes this album even more special? Refined? Dare I say... classical? Exactly that, of course. In the midst of ten other hard-hitting tracks that show off the instruments, we take a calming break for an a cappella rendition of Act 2, #10 from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, Op. 20. This bold and frankly unusual choice showcases White-Gluz and White-Gluz alone as she harmonizes with herself and lets us know just how operatic she can get. The experimentation barely stops there, though. The bridge of "Waiting Out the Winter" is written in 5/4; "Martyr Art" opens in 6/4; "The Sentient" dabbles with 7/8 in places. In fact, with the exception of the opening track, every song on this album uses at least two time signatures. And the final track, "Chlorpromazine", contains a lengthy violin solo. The band isn't afraid to branch out in the slightest, and that ambition works out for the best. Technically, this album excels.

The last comment I'd like to make is with regards to the production. When compared with its predecessor, Lullabies is a sonic masterpiece. I'm actually frightened of blowing out my headphones if I listen to it too loudly. Every note comes through clearly. Not a single nuance is lost. But the most impressive feat I think this album has accomplished is getting me to listen to it. Normally, I can't stand to listen to songs with too much growling in them. What can I say? I like being able to sing along with what I'm listening to. Lullabies has found a fantastic way to bridge the gap and is an astoundingly accessible album. I'm almost worried of hearing how songs from it sound live; if there's the same degree of loss, I won't even enjoy hearing the songs I like performed ten feet in front of me. That's the main thing keeping this album from getting a solid A. Still, I'm impressed by this offering and I would definitely recommend it to a number of people, even if they don't enjoy this kind of music. I didn't at first, and now look at me. A-

Lullabies for the Dormant Mind is hitting shelves March 10th. You can pre-order the album from Century Media now. While you're at it, check out The Agonist's MySpace for a sample of what they can do. If you like what you hear, they're going to be kicking off a tour through Canada and the United States on March 13th. Dates are on their MySpace.