The roots of Agathodaimon are originated in Romania, and go back to half of the nineties. In the earliest years, this band performed a dark and slightly gothified form of Black Metal (Blacken The Angel …, Higher Art Of Rebellion), but they went into a catchier Dark Metal approach as from the beginning of this century. This evolution not quite continues with the newest full length, In Darkness, because this currently-in-Germany-residing act reinvents the most obscured elements from Old again.
In Darkness, lasting for forty eight minutes, starts very promising. After a short acoustic introduction, Agathodaimon perform a melodic and even emotive form of Dark Metal that has not been as ‘blackened’ in years. In comparison to records like Phoenix or Serpent’s Embrace, this record sounds much more impressive. No, it certainly does not mean that this album is more fierce or aggressive than before. It’s just the approach that combines elementary obscurity with non-conformist power; a not-unimportant detail that this band was lacking of lately. It’s like a Dark Opera drawing parallels to the likes of Cradle Of Filth, Catamenia or Dismal Euphony, but with a very own, specific interpretation of the symbiosis melody-monstrosity. Also of importance, and worth mentioning, is the subtle equilibrium in between traditional parts and modern elements. The roots have never been ignored, but Agathodaimon make use of the inevitable evolution into the Now. There are bands that make me nauseous if they do so, and as mentioned before, I became sickly sickened by this evolution in Agathodaimon’s past, but this time it all seems to be worked out intensively stronger.