On the surface you could say that Agriculture are just another black metal band raging for the ages, but after seeing them live, it's clear that they're doing something totally unique and that makes them one of the most inspiring bands to come along in quite some time. Relentless riffs and absolutely punishing blast beats were the obvious centerpieces of the night, the band's utterly ferocious tunes bringing the intensity to the max and reigning down with total destruction. Thrashing power chords sent the songs into flight before wicked howls that poured over like assaults of gravel lashed out over the crowd with the utmost fury. Hitting us with an onslaught of material from last year's killer The Spiritual Sound, the band crept into their set with "Flea," slowly expanding their set from a smooth, haunting crawl before launching into a blistering, hell raising noise attack. Blending the wall of sound approach of shoegaze with metal's most striking blasts, Agriculture pushed the night to the limits and gradually increased the force as the night wore on. The ebb and flow of the night was trance-like, the music bending in ways that provided levity along with the space to release unfiltered angst. "Bodhidharma" kicked off and instantly became a stand out of the night. From the opening blasts, the crowd surged with enthusiasm and the band then began the track's journey of peaks and valleys that allowed the group to flex their muscles of crushing power. Drifting from slowcore to blackgaze, the song prevailed in triumphant form with astonishing authority. Throughout the night, the primal growls of Dan Meyer and Leah B Levinson enriched each song with a guttural gruff, grounding the songs with hints of sludge and doom. Between the rushes of soaring guitar, Meyer hit us with a vocal range that made the moment stand still. With Jeff Buckley like grace, he was a powerful and majestic site that left jaws dropped to the floor. Pulling away from the mic to demonstrate their ability to harness their own voice, it was a mind bending display of power and remarkable control. During "Relier," drummer Kern Haug faded out with a spiraling solo that infused jazz fills with batches of chaos that gave him a spotlight to shine in and unleash his finest moments. As the night came to a close, Meyer took a moment to express the band's happiness to go on tour and find crowds of people as upset at the current state of the country as they are and the room was quick to follow with chants of "fuck ICE." It was an enthralling break that put a brief pause in their punishing show and helped unite the crowd with unanimous fervor as they set forth with their final song of the night. "This is 'Living is Easy' because that's the opposite of what's happening" Meyer said before laying into a chugging riff that sparked one final explosion of passion from the group. As hands began to raise in the air as signs of affirmation to the bursts of euphoria emanating from the stage, it assured the feeling that had lingered throughout the night. This was a special show that indicates Agriculture's place as one of metal's most exciting and important bands of the moment, one that may break from the pack and enter the lexicon of the wider music scene in general, while still staying loyal to the sound that made them who they are in the first place.
Set list:
02 "My Garden"
03 "The Weight"
04 "Bodhidharma"
05 "Hallelujah"
06 "Micah (5:15am)"
07 "Relier"
08 "The Well"
09 "Look, Pt. 1"
10 "The Reply"
11 "Living Is Easy"
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