Agatus

 

Once again, we return to Greece to explore the incredible hellenic black metal scene. Ranking up there with excellent mid-tier Greek bands like Zemial and Deviser is AGATUS, hailing from Athens.

Where Zemial was the brainchild of Archon Vorskaath with Eskarth the Dark One as a supporting musician, Agatus was the reverse. Formed in 1991, Agatus burst onto the scene with a folk-inspired demo in 1993, A Night of the Dark Ages.

Here is the entire A Night of the Dark Ages demo

With carefully placed synths, this demo had a sound that wasn't entirely hellenic, yet still bore some resemblance to what other Greek bands were doing (some similarities to Deviser, perhaps?). Some of Varathron's mid-paced songs are sometimes cited as a point of reference.

Like any good demo, Dark Ages opened doors for the band. They were pursued by record labels and soon entered the studio in 1994 to record their first full-length album. The immediate result was a two song promo entitled Black Moon.

"Black Moon's Blood" comes from their 1996 debut album

1994 was also the year the two brothers relocated to Australia. This relocation was one of the factors that delayed the release of their first full-length studio album. Although it was recorded in 1994 (and gave birth to the above-mentioned promotional demo), it was 1996 that finally saw the album's release. 

Dawn of Martyrdom continued the medieval-influenced black metal of the first demo. Like some other great Greek black metal albums of this era (think Wizard of Nerath or Unspeakable Cults), Dawn showcased creative use of synths and thrash-like riffing. It is an album that should be in the rotation of any true black metal fan.

Here is 1997's Rite of Metamorphosis

Almost immediately after the release of Dawn, the band recorded the 7-inch EP Rite of Metamorphosis. A strong continuation of the band's style from the full-length debut, this EP was released in limited number and is hard to find even to this day. 

The band's second full-length album (2002's The Weaving Fates) featured a more nuanced sound: riffing derived from melodic death metal and clean vocals abounded. Yet, it was still more in the black metal vein, and clearly resembled Agatus's earlier work.

The Weaving Fates gives us "Era of Tiamat"

Since the release of Fates, the band has been less active. They "remained dormant" (Eskarth the Dark One's words) for several years until some unique touring opportunities arose. Following this, they became active again in the 2010s.

All in all, their early work is classic second-wave black metal that is crucial for the development of the hellenic sound. Any fan of Deviser, Zemial, or Nergal needs to know this band. 

Select Discography:

Rehearsal '92 (rehearsal demo) (1992)

A Night of the Dark Ages (demo) (1993)

Black Moon (demo) (1994)

Dawn of Martyrdom (full-length) (1996)

Rite of Metamorphosis 7" (1997)

The Weaving Fates (full-length) (2002)

Next time: BAXAXAXA