Poetry of Torch & Agak Deliver Hard-Hitting Screamo On Ferocious New Split

On their new split record — called 僅カナ灯火 — the Japan-based screamo projects poetry of torch and agak unite for some truly ferocious tunes. Only four songs appear on the record, three of which come from poetry of torch and one of which is the creation of agak, but there’s a feeling of a lot wider of a musical horizon packed into the runtime than the length might suggest. In other words — there’s a lot going on in here, and the contents of this record feel truly sonically rich.

There’s a hardcore-esque ferocity running through the music, but, in their own unique ways, each of the bands that make an appearance on the record spin that ferocity through a blender of classically caustic screamo chaos. None of the heavy rhythms feel stable for very long; the paths the songs take feel definitely strong but entirely unpredictable, which gives them an emotional realness and a musical intrigue.

The music quickly proves both chaotic and heavy, and the tones feel consistently emotionally scorching. The songs streak by like bolts of lightning — there’s a sense of huge, raw power, and the power has gotten focused into some very direct bolts.

Track two begins on a particularly intricately chaotic note — the rhythms on the drums and the guitar feel like they’re crashing into each other and into listeners before evolving into some slightly more direct melody — although there’s still plenty of heavy ferocity. As the song proceeds, the guitar parts start to feel like hammer swings. Track three, meanwhile, starts off on a particularly heavy note, but it’s not just blast beats on the drums. Riff-blasts on the guitar land like balls of fire or asteroids hurtling towards the earth, and even when there’s a bit more of direct melody that emerges, at least as an shadow amidst the haze, the song still retains its inwardly rattling appeal.

Track four, by agak, is the longest song on the record, clocking in at just over five minutes. The melodies on that track feel a bit more extended, but there’s not really a dial-down of any of the ferocity. Instead, that ferocity gets funneled into more defined guitar melodies that feel like they’re taking listeners by the hand through a truly wild ride. It’s like the sounds of a band playing on a stage in some forgotten bar accessible from a forgotten alley. This new music from poetry of torch and agak provides a truly good time.

5/5 Stars

Check out the songs below!