Hardcore, metalcore, ‘metallic hardcore’ – tomato, tomahto, tomacco. Genre purists can be so hard to please these days when every music genre has its own subgenres and those subgenres have sub-subgenres. Sometimes, it feels good to kick back and enjoy something a little looser, a little more unfettered, a little…well, in blunt terms, raw.
That brings us to our Weekly Featured Artist, a quartet named Agonize hailing from Savannah, Georgia. I was introduced to them by the patron saints of actually compensating artists for their work, Bandcamp, who sent an email informing me that their EP, HIGHEST FORM, had just released on Closed Casket Activities on May 20th. The press release attached to that email mentioned that Jeremy Martin of Vein.FM produced HIGHEST FORM, which was enough recommendation for me to enthusiastically dive into the world of Agonize as they debut on Closed Casket. Some of my favorite modern hardcore and metal acts – END, the aforementioned Vein.FM, the late, great Gulch – have released music via CCA, and I signed up for their mailing list when I purchased the debut album from Fleshwater (a band featuring Jeremy Martin and Agonize‘s drummer Josian Soto-Ramos) back in 2022, an album that quickly became my favorite of that year.
So does the band’s music live up to their name? The very first track, “STRANGE REFLECTION”, offers an answer in its opening seconds: relentless riffing and a drum sound just on the right side of the meme-worthy ‘PING’ snare tone coveted by grindcore groups provide a two-minute blast of sour ear candy (a Warhead, anyone?). The instrumental attack rides the line of hardcore and metal reminiscent of crossover thrash at its most bestial. Even more revealing was the press release making note of how the band was ‘deliberately avoiding click tracks and excessive editing to maintain the natural grit‘ with an emphasis on ‘preserving the human element.’ Chatting with the band’s guitarist Nolan Mobley gave some insight as to what goes into crafting an Agonize song:
‘We’ve already been down that road and experimented with tight computer production, synths, and crisp production. It was a cool experience, but that process is so soulless to Josian and I, so this project had to be the complete antithesis. The live sound should come across the same on record and so there have to be slight mistakes that aren’t edited out. The band is messy and ugly, so it was important that we get as much of that as we can.’
Of course, playing a part in this is the guiding hand of Jeremy Martin, who preserves Agonize‘s desire for a warts-and-all approach. Compared with the nigh-industrial stylings that Martin’s main squeeze Vein.FM has increasingly dabbled in over the years, he keeps things stripped-down on HIGHEST FORM, such as on highlight “ALL THE WAY THROUGH”. The tempo and riffs heave and ho, with new ideas introducing themselves every 20 seconds or so – keeping the listener on the edge of their seat is a tough thing to do in 2025, but the band keeps things moving forward at all times, never relenting even as the song speeds up and breaks down again. Speaking of Martin’s influence as a producer, Nolan had this to say:
‘We’ve known Jeremy since 2016 I think from playing shows. Josian lives with him now because of Fleshwater and I’ve toured with him a few times. Josian had mentioned he was getting into recording demos, so we wanted to take the chance and let whatever was going to happen, happen. Everything was against what ‘industry standard’ should be in terms of tracking. We conveyed exactly what we wanted and Jeremy just understands and helps us craft it. We did 3 days with him for the entire first EP and 4 days for just music for HIGHEST FORM. Both have been the most fun I’ve ever had recording and creating with anyone, so he will always have a hand in what this band does.’
Despite the brutality of Agonize‘s music, Nolan did make it clear to me that it’s not all sturm und drang for anyone listening. The lyrics to a song like “ONCE IT GETS YOU” detail some pretty intense human things like internalizing guilt and rage, before those bottled-up emotions come bubbling out: ‘There’s a point when it’s time to decide/unleash this hate, or keep it buried inside/Once the fever hits, I can’t rewind/If I’m God, everybody dies.’ However, the stomping, menacing closer “IN THE VACANT LOT” boasts a proud ‘BREEEEEE’ in its lyric sheet on Bandcamp, one of several moments when vocalist Spencer Guerrero utilizes all areas of his range to sinister, chilling effect. When asking Nolan about this juxtaposition of real-world seriousness and the lighthearted angle to playing in a band, he had this to say:
‘This is a real outlet for all of us, but we also aren’t scary people, so it feels dumb to try and convey that visually. Things are cooler when they’re self-aware and not trying to be something they aren’t, so we pull from B-horror, video games, and everything in between. So people will hear some real shit, but there’s the dichotomy of not taking itself overly seriously. The vocals are written to be another percussive instrument, but the lyrics are still an important element.’
As for what’s next for the band, Nolan made a point to shine a light on how the members of Agonize approach what they do now. For a lot of artists, especially in the underground, there is a temptation to take any opportunity that presents itself just as a way to get the word about you out there. Now that they’re a member of the Closed Casket family, things will be different going forward. ‘We’ve made the mistake in other bands of saying yes to things just to be doing something. So anything we end up doing will be 100% because the idea was exciting. Anyone on CCA would be a great pairing or any of our friends. But we will get the work in wherever it’s offered as long as it makes sense to our love for music.’
And that love pours out of every second of HIGHEST FORM‘s 11-minute runtime. You’re unlikely to hear a purer, more unabashed good time in hardcore or metal this year. Pick it up at their Bandcamp and give ’em a follow on Instagram.
Agonize is:
Nolan Mobley – Guitar
Josian Soto-Ramos – Drums
Spencer Guerrero – Vocals
Tom Lovejoy – Bass
Photo credit: Nick Caslin
