Review ENDLESS CHAIN “Agony”

Melancholic death metal from Finland is not exactly a new thing. Bands like Amorphis, but also acts like Sentenced have established the genre. Another band with a passion for metallic shades of gray is Endless Chain from Lahti. The city, known for its winter sports events, is the homebase of the quintet, which was founded in 2018.

The band’s debut album, “Forthcoming Past”, was released in 2021, in the middle of the pandemic which wasn’t the optimal timing. Three years later though, Endless Chain followed up the debut with a longplayer called “Agony”. It is the band’s second and self-released effort containing ten songs with an acoustic intro to get things started. It is a calm way to introduce the album and the dark atmosphere is already embedded.

“Intro to Agony” is the title of the intro that leads to “Agony”. The opener picks up the emotional foundation set by the intro. It is a much heavier way though, with harsh riffs and very dense sound that differentiates the song from the intro. The verse is somewhere in between which gives the song a well executed tension. And there is also a lot of Amorphis, especially in the chorus part

.But it’s not only Finnish metal that influences the sound of the five guys. Their colleagues from Gothenburg have also provided some inspiration, as the following “Human Race” contains some moments in the verse that remind of In Flames.

These two songs are the poles when it comes to the sound of “Agony”, which also includes “Ghost”, a calmer and mystical track that sticks to the basic pattern from start to finish. The last third of “Ghost” is somewhat heavier than the rest of the song, but it is the moment of gloom that sets the context for an album that also includes “Until No One Comes,” a brutal death metal song that basically stays in a slower tempo.

“Agony” is an album from a band that shows some real potential. Listening to these ten songs is anything but a waste of time. What limits the joy of listening a bit is the fact that Endless Chain are sometimes very close to their sources of inspiration. “Agony” is still a well done album and if the guys manage to sharpen their own trademarks, they should be able to solidify their position in metal.