AGARWAEN – THE MURDER TREND

Beneath the album’s chaotic exterior lies a clear narrative thread. The story follows Anton, a man seemingly cursed from birth, subjected to one cruel twist of fate after another. An absent father, relentless bullying, the hardships of orphanage life, and the disturbing influence of a graveyard-dwelling uncle with a macabre "collection", Anton’s journey unfolds as a descent through trauma, misery, and psychological torment. 'False Arrival' serves as an effective introduction to the album’s unsettling narrative. A police radio transmission opens the track, accompanied by calm, almost reassuring ambient textures. Gradually, darker elements begin to emerge as ominous sounds creep into the mix. In the background, what resembles either crackling fire or an approaching storm adds to the growing tension. The atmosphere becomes increasingly uneasy until piercing shrieks rise to the surface, bringing the intro to an abrupt and unsettling conclusion while setting the stage for the chaos to come. 'Bad Beginnings' explodes into life with relentless blast beats, a thick and surprisingly inventive bass line, and an overwhelming sense of chaos. AGARWAEN wastes no time unleashing deep, aggressive vocals that are preceded by dark growls and a sinister, almost maniacal laugh. Throughout the track, the screams occasionally veer into black metal territory, while eerie choir arrangements add another layer of madness to the mix. A well-placed solo further fuels the song’s frantic energy. It is wild, theatrical, and completely over the top—but that is precisely what makes it work within the album’s concept. 'Orphan Son' charges forward with impressive speed and a strong melodic backbone. The drumming is sharp and energetic, driving the song without overshadowing the rest of the instrumentation. Once again, the distinctive, almost clown-like vocal delivery takes center stage—unusual, memorable, and perfectly suited to the band’s theatrical approach. Beneath the frantic surface, the heavy riffs and urgent melodies carry a sense of defiance that fits the song’s themes remarkably well. Most importantly, the central melody proves incredibly catchy.

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'Circo de la Muerte' opens with what sounds like a music box melody, creating an eerie, carnival-like atmosphere that hints at the madness to come. When the full band enters, AGARWAEN unleashes another burst of chaos, driven by sharp riff work and unexpected flourishes—yes, there even seems to be an accordion woven into the mix. The vocals are as twisted and theatrical as ever, perfectly matching the song’s unsettling character and the album’s overarching concept. At times, however, their exaggerated delivery can feel a little overwhelming, though that is likely part of the intended effect. 'Aenimus' revisits the unsettling music-box motifs introduced earlier, this time pairing them with heavier, more distorted guitar work. The drumming once again acts as the song’s driving force, guiding the listener through a dense and unpredictable soundscape. Above it all, the unmistakably unhinged vocal performance shifts between manic excitement and outright menace. While the bass is less prominent than on some of the previous tracks, its subtle presence helps reinforce the song’s atmosphere. And unless my ears deceived me, there is even something resembling a chainsaw buried in the bridge—if that is indeed the case, it seems the inmates have found themselves some new toys. We conclude our descent into the asylum with the album’s title track, 'The Murder Trend'. The opening moments feel rawer and darker, driven by a prominent bass line and an unsettling atmosphere. A voice resembling a news reporter recounts the story of a clown-like figure roaming the streets with a chainsaw, accompanied by sinister background textures that reinforce the track’s horror-inspired narrative. As the culmination of Anton’s tragic story, the song serves as the final chapter in a life shaped by cruelty, trauma, and misfortune. At over fifteen minutes, Agarwaen’s closing piece unfolds as an ambitious, multi-part composition that blurs the line between extreme metal and psychological horror score. Spoken-word fragments, shifting dynamics, and the recurring news-broadcast motif heighten its cinematic intensity and narrative pull. By the time the heavier sections fully detonate, the listener is already deep inside its disturbed conceptual world. The contrast between melodic and extreme vocals is executed with striking control, reinforcing the band’s "Asylum Metal" identity and driving Anton’s descent into a tense, unsettling final collapse.

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A bold, theatrically unhinged slab of extreme metal, "The Murder Trend" turns chaos into concept with impressive consistency. AGARWAEN fully committed to their "Asylum Metal" identity, blending frantic riff work, horror-inspired atmospheres, and a strong narrative thread into something deliberately disorienting and immersive. Its sheer intensity and theatrical excess are part of its appeal, even if they can feel overwhelming at times. Ultimately, it’s a striking and uncompromising statement that rewards full attention.

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SCORE 8.5/10

REVIEWED BY SWAMPY