Formed in Savannah, Georgia from the remains of metallic hardcore band Vatican, AGONIZE represents a return to rawness that hardcore demands. Their latest EP, Highest Form (out now on Closed Casket Activities), eschews the over-production dominating modern metal in favor of capturing the visceral energy of a band wanting to tear a room apart performing right in front of your eyes.
Produced by Jeremy Martin (Vein.fm, Fleshwater), AGONIZE tracked their latest offering with an emphasis on preserving the human9 element, deliberately avoiding click tracks and excessive editing to maintain the natural grit that defines their sound. Highest Form showcases the band's ability to craft memorable metal-influenced hardcore while maintaining a deliberately ugly, unrefined aesthetic that harkens back to the genre's roots.
AGONIZE has also shared a music video for Highest Form's focus track "All the Way Through" of which guitarist Nolan Mobley says the song "...expands on previous ideas with more influence from bands we love like Pantera, Meshuggah, jazz world ideas on drums, or hip hop world for lyrics. Jeremy helped with the production style to make it feel as pissed as possible and this song finds its way through a lot of different energies as it plays out. We got to bring this together with the video that grabs elements of movies and games we love, but the overall tone of our visual side is dark humor that’s self-aware. We aren’t selling ourselves as the toughest dudes on the block, but we are confident that we can make shit angrier than any band out while also challenging the listener to hear heavy moments in more than just a breakdown.”
Beyond the music, AGONIZE extends their creative vision through DIY-filmed music videos shot on vintage equipment, producing horror-influenced visuals that feel like something the viewer shouldn’t be watching. Each member brings creative influences from outside the music world into Agonize's visual aesthetic, incorporating elements from horror films, video games, and graphic art, while vocalist Spencer Guerrero's work as a tattoo artist directly shapes the band's distinctive imagery and album artwork. This holistic approach to their art reflects the band's commitment to crafting an authentic representation of their hometown Savannah, showcasing the Southern Darkness that lives beneath its picturesque surface.
Featuring members who've toured in Vein, Fleshwater, Vatican, Judiciary and Vomit Forth, AGONIZE’s vision is squarely set on making hardcore musically and visually as dangerous as possible. With a heavy slate of shows already announced, AGONIZE’s 2025 is just beginning.