The struggles of life turned into poetry – review of “Agony” by Endless Chain

Our existence is a continuous rollercoaster, with ups and downs that follow no apparent pattern. While the ups are delightful and comforting, unfortunately, the downs are swift and unpredictable. That would be cause for a negative and depressive point of view, but let’s take a step back. We can’t rise before starting somewhere low, and Endless Chain have decided to explore the beginning point and the journey up in their second full-length “Agony”. First of all, the cover art is just spectacular!

I make it a priority to try and praise the whole team behind the record, and this time won’t be different. Ville Hovi and Aki Salonen are one of the greatest pairs of voices that I’ve heard so far; especially in “Human Race” and “Ghost“, their talent is on full display. Both have incredibly charming vocals, that capture our interest and never let it go. Timo Mölsä and Aleksanteri Kuosa on guitars do a very nice job with melodies and accompaniment, but it’s quite hard to hear the bass in the mixing.

The production and mastering are done well; let’s not forget Samuli Mikkonen on drums, who knows how to dosage his power and when to be just the backbone of the track. The chaos inside and outside sometimes can be hard to distinguish and control, but with their help, we can focus on reaching some peace and serenity. “Agony” has a predominant somber tone, but I personally think that it is also hopeful.

Hopeful because sometimes the greatest strength is found inside of us, we must only reach out and grab it (“Blind Kings“). Despair is not a word in our dictionary! Here and there we find hints of oriental music, which are a great embellishment of an already great album. “We Are All Vulnerable” could be described as a summary of the whole record, highlighting still the extraordinary Hovi and Salonen on vocals.

In conclusion, the progressive realm surely is a better place now because of “Agony”. Endless Chain have delivered a marvellous record, that will keep us company for quite a long while. And when we lose our hope, we’ll know it will be our safe haven.