The Agonist - Lullabies for the Dormant Mind

Lullabies for the Dormant Mind is the latest album from The Agonist, releasing in March of this year.

This is another hardcore, death metal band with a female lead. Their music is full of changes and alternates between harsh metal chords and quiet backgrounds. Leading the vocals is Alissa White-Gluz whose voice is full of range, going from the growling, grind of death metal to the nearly-operatic tones of a metal front.

The unique look of the band is another thing here. Were Alissa to not have multi-colored hair and several piercings, you'd guess she was just the girl next door with no metal grind to her at all. Possibly even a Brittany Spears fan?

The guitars (bass and lead) are manned by Chris Kells and Danny Marino, respectively. These two play off one another well, showing a range beyond the usual 3-chords of power. If you listen carefully, you'll hear the inspired drumming of Simon McKay as well, which is subtle in most of the band's songs, but ads more flavor than you'd think.

Overall, this is a great band. This album is a great addition to their lineup of discs so far. It's not as gritty and is more thoughtful than Business Suits and Combat Boots.

This Canadian band is definitely worth keeping your eye on. Great stuff from an up-and-coming powerhouse!