Carl Begai

I still say it should be “Lullabyes” in the title, but nobody likes a know-it-all so I’ll let that supposed gaffe slide. What matters is the music, and the new Agonist album is a huge step up from the debut, Once Only Imagined. Unlike the first record, which was bogged down by a poor track sequence, Lullabies For The Dormant Mind goes for the throat from the very first track (‘The Tempest’) and doesn’t let up for a moment until the welcome mid-album acapella version of Tchaikowsky’s ‘Swan Lake’ (executed top to bottom by vocalist Alissa White-Gluz). The aforementioned lead-off track is the bookend to the stellar ‘Business Suits And Combat Boots’ from the first album, sort of a kiss goodbye to the band’s younger days. (continue reading…)