Customer Reviews

Agents of Oblivion

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
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For those of you familiar with Acid Bath, frontman of Agents of Oblivion, Dax Riggs and Agents guitarist Mike Sanchez are no strangers to you. What might be strange, however, is how different this record is from the Acid Bath days. I happen to be a fan of the angry, brutal, dark Acid Bath AND also this new direction Dax and company have taken with Agents. Dax's voice is, hands down, one of the best voices in rock. Period. He's sort of like the underground Chris Cornell. (I love Chris, but Dax smokes him.) The thing with Dax is that his singing goes beyond just a lovely melody, interesting phrasing, or his seemingly effortless ability to hold a note. He is a legitimate singer with mindboggling range. His vocals drips with mystery, depth and, I don't know how else to say it but some sort of tragic longing... Dax consistently creates the most complex and moving melodies I have EVER heard. His voice is both haunting and beautiful.

The music and musicians here are in perfect harmony with the vocal stylings of Riggs. Mike Sanchez, once again, delivers soulful, passionate guitar playing and the rest of the boys hold their own as well(forgive me for not having names handy).

This is a unique record. It's different, daring and dynamic.

The Agents of Oblivion might not sit well with hard-core Acid Bath fans due to it's less brutal and agressive nature but I'm reminded of a few old Acid Bath songs such as "Bones of Baby Dolls", "New Death Sensation", and "Dead Girl",that seemed to be precursors to this new musical direction Dax and bandmates have taken.

Please listen to this record. Listen to this man sing. Listen to these boys from the bayous of Southern Louisiana break your heart with how brilliant they can be.

*Unfortunately, this lineup is no longer together. However, Dax is fronting yet another band--Deadboy and the Elephantmen...MUST CHECK THAT OUT TOO. Trust me. It's even more beautiful than Agents...but don't get me started. I'll spare all of you another "Ode to Dax" review...

To begin, I find it odd that I ever even picked this album up besides the fact that it was an acid bath side project. I am undoubtedly a metalhead although a compramising one at that. However un-metal like this album is, I love it to death. I will forever treasure this cd for giving me not only musical inspiration in a different direction than ever before, but for great insight and the greatest of listening pleasure. It is difficult to slap a label on this work of art, but here goes: I prefer to call it psychedelic-stoner-grunge-rock. But that is no proper description for this album. This album made such an impact on me that I've been burning copies left and right to friends and co-workers like it was my job, and they all have given great responses to it. The songwriting on this cd is impeccable. It is far too creative and complex and altogether different to be standard radio play. You'll find surreal acoustic guitar work, fuzzy distorted guitars to accompany the acoustics, perfect rock n roll beats with a real commanding sound, a truly peaceful deep and mellow bass,synthezizers and piano that are both haunting and ethereal, and the most powerful and strangely beautiful vocals I have ever heard. The vocals, just like any album that Dax has sung in, stand out in such a way that is never odd but incredibly different. The vocals are in one phrase: "from the deepest depths of the human heart". Dax is a music legend in his own right for his extremely different sound and obscure,poetic lyrics. This album should be recommended to any person with good taste in music that seeks out new music that is "real". More than anything, Agents of Oblivion is "real".

This magnificent album picks up right where Paegan Terrorism Tactics left off. Obviously it's not Acid Bath as the songs are somewhat lighter in overall mood, but it is a VERY slow moving, dark themed album. By now (2000) AB has broken up and this is (was) Dax's new band, and you can see how dax has come to embrace darker (than usual, even for him)songs. Phantom Green is a song that is a definite slow rocker with seering guitar solos and Dax's notorious bellowing. As with anything that Dax Riggs is associated with, this album is not for the light-hearted. The music is very moving even though the musical structure is watered down a bit (in comparison to AB.) If you preferred PTT's slower moody rock, then you will mosdef dig this album! Long Live Dax!

If your into southern stoner rock then you'll dig this album. Its like the small town musical cousin of DOWN. Its nothing like Acid Bath and is not Metal in my opinion, it's is really heavy psychadelic stoner rock with bluegrass,country, and folk elements mixed into for a sound that only a project that surely will be a welcome addition to any music collection that is open minded and always looking for something new & different from the outer edges of nowhere.

"Wither" is my favorite track.

This album is consistently one of my top 3 or 4 favorites of all time. It's hard to describe the sound--I read something along the lines of "psychedelic sci-fi soul rock from the dark side of the brain" once and I think that fits. Anyway, from the opening line "it's only the end of the world again", this album is apocalyptic, swaying, soulful, loud, haunting... it's just what rock music should be. There is music that you like, there's music that you love, and then there's music that creeps up inside of you and saturates you and takes over. That's what this album does. You'd be hard pressed to find a rock and roll album with more soul, although Dax's current thing, Deadboy and the Elephantmen, comes damn close.

If you're looking for rock that you can relax or think to, this is the album for you. Introspective, powerful, intense, and yet soothing, calming.

Agents have returned to some old forgotten traditions in rock and roll. Their music is simple but it moves and evolves. With the emphasis on songwriting as opposed to fast licks or brief shining moments, this entire album becomes a shining moment.

From the beginning, "Endsmouth" sounds more like what you would expect the last track of an album to sound like, it opens an interesting insight into the mind of Dax Riggs as he bids farewell to Acid Bath and Audie Pitre (their bassist, now deceased), and turns toward the future with Agents. (...)

In my humble opinion, this is simply the best album I have ever heard in my life. That's a bold statement, I suppose, but it's exactly what I think. I have never heard something so perfect as this record. Dax is the best vocalist and lyricist I know of. I am a huge fan of Tool's Maynard Keenan, but I think Dax overshadows Maynard with his vocal abilities. This is definitely an album any Acid Bath fan should own. Every song is awesome, but my favorites are "The Hangman's Daughter", "Endsmouth", "A Song that Crawls", "Wither", and the remake of T. Rex's "Cosmic Dancer". Dax really shows his wonderful use of his voice on "The Hangman's Daughter". I also have heard the Agents cover of "House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals and it is brilliant. Dax sings it perfect times 100. This is just an album anyone should own. All the Agents and Acid Bath fanatics should check out Dax's newest band, Deadboy and the Elephantmen. A somewhat similar band to Agents, but much slower and more mellow and Dax's voice is even better. Hard to believe it can get any better than it does on this, but it does.

In my humble opinion, this is simply the best album I have ever heard in my life. That a bold statement, I suppose, but it's exactly what I think. I have never heard something so perfect as this record. Dax is the best vocalist and lyricist I know of. I am a huge fan of Tool's Maynard Keenan, but I think Dax overshadows Maynard with his vocal abilities. This is definitely an album any Acid Bath fan should own. Every song is awesome, but my favorites are "The Hangman's Daughter", "Endsmouth", "A Song that Crawls", "Wither", and the remake of T. Rex's "Cosmic Dancer". Dax really shows his wonderful use of his voice on "The Hangman's Daughter". I also have heard the Agents cover of "House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals and it is brilliant. Dax sings it perfect times 100. This is just an album anyone should own. All the Agents and Acid Bath fanatics should check out Dax's newest band, Deadboy and the Elephantmen. A somewhat similar band to Agents, but much slower and Dax's voice is even better. Hard to believe it can get any better than it does on this, but it does.

Very different from past projects of ACID BATH veterans Dax Riggs and Mike Sanchez. If you liked the slower material from ACID BATHS releases (ex: "New Death Sensation" "Graveflower" and "Scream of the Butterfly") then you will undoubtedly love this one. Dax no longer screams or growls but replaces it with softer hypnotic tones that sort of reminds me of David Bowie during the Ziggy Stardust days.

The piano/keyboard work in "A Song That Crawls" and "Phantom Green" definitely adds more substance and flavor to the songs. My personal favorite has to be "The Hangmans Daughter". Dax vocals are tremendous, the music is amazingly written and done and the lyrics are great. The only complaint I have is that I prefer the original acoustic version of "Dead Girl" (previously released on ACID BATHS 2nd album "Paegan Terrorism Tactics")and "Cosmic Dancer" is just a bit repetitious. I believe this album would appeal to a wide variety of music fans and is definitely worth a try. It hasn't left my cd player for months.

Well, what can I say? Every one talks about t he creepy voice of Dax, well, he is even creppier in person. The music, no matter what band he is in will always be great. And this guy Walter doesn't know what he is talking about, I'm from Acid Bath's home town, Houma, you probably never met one band member.