On their latest EP Depraved from Darkness, Philadelphia’s The Final Agony deliver a tightly wound, four-track descent that thrives at the intersection of metallic hardcore brutality and sorrow-soaked metal textures. It’s a record that carries the blunt impact of 90s hardcore and groove metal while draping everything in a sense of melancholy that lingers long after the last note fades. What emerges is a work that’s as mournful as it is crushing—a concise, emotionally heavy statement from a band that already sound sharpened and deliberate.
The EP kicks off with “Body of Light,” a slow, bass-led crawl that wastes no time in setting the mood. The low end practically growls, pulling the listener into a swamp of distortion before the track erupts into pounding drums and jagged riffs. Gravel-throated vocals tear through the haze with pure venom, adding to the track’s suffocating atmosphere. It’s Final Agony at their tightest: dynamic shifts keep the track from stagnating, and the bass lines repeatedly cut through as the star of the mix, anchoring the chaos with an unrelenting groove.
With “Baptized by Flames,” the band tilt toward the melodic side of their personality. The opening guitar lines drip with melancholy, echoing the somber weight of Metallica’s slower, more introspective moments. But this isn’t nostalgia—it’s a foundation that soon gives way to thrashier riffs and galloping momentum. The song feels like a miniature journey, beginning in sorrow, building to fury, then circling back to its opening refrain with a sense of closure. The solos here are particularly striking—fluid but mournful, they serve as the EP’s emotional centerpiece.
“Deceiver” dials down the tempo but not the intensity. Rumbling bass tones and chiming, sorrowful guitar slides stretch the song into a space that feels both atmospheric and crushing. The groove is undeniable, but what makes it stand out is the sense of decay hanging over every note. When the solo cuts through, it doesn’t feel like an indulgence—it feels like a lament, something torn out of the track’s own chest. It’s chilling in its restraint, proving that The Final Agony can be just as punishing in their slower moments as they are when firing on all cylinders.
The closer, “Devil’s Repossession (Barberic Tragedies Kontinue…),” pulls all of these threads together into a bleak finale. Doom-tinged guitars cast a suffocating shadow, while the distorted, almost robotic vocal delivery tips the track into something otherworldly. The production remains clean but never sterile, allowing the heaviness to breathe while keeping the grit intact. As a closer, it feels like a descent into darkness rather than a resolution—an ending that leaves the weight of the record pressing on your chest.
What makes Depraved from Darkness resonate is its balance. The riffs hit with hardcore grit, the grooves recall the swagger of 90s metal, but the sorrow woven into every track ensures it never feels one-dimensional. The bass work is consistently thunderous, the drums land with precision, and the production walks a fine line between clarity and grime.
Depraved from Darkness is a short, sharp statement of intent from The Final Agony. In just four tracks, they channel raw hardcore energy, thrashy groove, and mournful atmosphere into a focused, cohesive release. It’s a record that doesn’t waste a second—and one that leaves you convinced there’s far more to come from a band already carving out a space of their own in the hardcore/metal underground.
NOTABLE TRACKS:
Body of Light
Baptized By Flames