Album Review: Noisem- Agony Defined (2013)

Man, I'm kicking myself for not hitting Decibel's tour earlier this year. Of the 3 main acts, not counting the local supporting bands of course, the only one I don't care for much at all is The Black Dahlia Murder. But to see legends like Carcass and Gorguts on stage after seeing if new highlight Noisem lives up to their potential would have been divine.

I've listened to the Baltimore native's debut a few times by now, and it never fails to rip me in with its rapid-fire pacing. Agony Defined's 9 songs each never make it up to 4 minutes, which means the album consists of about 25 minutes of pure speed-death aggression.

It's no surprise that the band is still touring with Carcass now, since you can definitely hear the influence from Reek of Putrefaction abound, as guitarists Travis Stone and Sebastian Philips aren't afraid to trade intense riffs at 80 mph in the way of pure grind. But don't mistake their speed for inferiority- these shredders can hold their own among the most talented soloists of their era, which isn't a compliment to take lightly. These guys rock.

The rhythm section is similarly talented, with the drumming in particular being something to aspire to. Harley Philips, who is only 16 years old (fun fact- I'm older than the rest of the band. That makes me feel absolutely ancient) doesn't rely solely on blast beats, and is able to bring the right amount of energy and personality to his drum work, a feat that becomes taken for granted in today's climate. I also dig the bass, whenever I can hear it, since like many metal productions, the bass is usually the least important element in the mix. The scant touches of bass work shows smart uses of lines that are always welcome.

Vocalist Tyler Carnes holds his own just fine, even if his growls aren't anything truly earth shattering. Considering the material however, he definitely fits and does bring in enough energetic anger to compliment his band's power.

However, the band's lyrics are their weak point thus far. Reading through on their own, it's a lot of the same horror cliches present in death metal, which gets tiresome the more you get into the music. Lyrics thankfully aren't a deal breaker, and it does seem like the band is smart enough to evolve as they go along, hopefully still keeping their aggression while upping the ante lyrically.

Overall, Agony Defined was a highlight for me last year, and still gets decent play now. If you're in the mood for a quick skull crusher, you won't go wrong with Noisem. Below is a link to the album's closing title track.