After a live demo tape and 2 EPs, French DEATH AGONY unleashes their debut album "Carcinogenic Memories". A crushing piece of Death Metal. One would expect influences from other acts from France, since their scene has had big names in the history of Metal. But, curious enough, I didn’t find any. And the guys seem to work hard, since they released the album by themselves. Let’s start with the good: their style is based on a mix between New York crushing brutality and East-European Evil. Imagine a cross between early SUFFOCATION and early VADER. Their songs have a lot of variety and some really good hooks, specially the guitar riffs. Something a lot of bands nowadays lack of. These guys are good musicians and that shows overall. The bad: maybe if they develop their music a little more, they could stand out in the already saturated Metal sub-genre. They show a lot of potential and there is an identity that just needs a little polishing. The ugly: it’s not really ugly, but the production could be better. I know what it takes to pay for a recording, artwork, CD pressing etc. And the overall sound of "Carcinogenic Memories" lacks the punchy, raw production that it deserves. The guitars are well-placed in the front up to par with the vocals. But the mix has the drums far in the back and the bass guitar needs more of a "round sound" to it. But that’s about it. I really liked 3 tracks here: ‘Taste Of Poison’ which has a really nice mid section. ‘This Rotting Flesh’ which is a fierce piece of Death Metal. And ‘Magnificent Chaos’. A track that showcases perfectly DEATH AGONY’s song composing / structuring. This is a band to look out for in the near future. They definitely deserve our support! Contact the band here: www.facebook.com/pages/death-agony/126576403494