Quarter to Nigh - by Agency Panic

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 "Quarter to Nigh" by Agency Panic (from Ireland) is a strong progressive hard rock song bordering on metal yet with extreme heaviness.  The songwriting is absolutely exceptional...and so is the studio production!

The song starts with a spooky whirring drone that gets drowned out by creative tom/kick/snare rhythm, that is soon joined by the bass and guitars giving an intense feeling of panic and anxiety.  Very creative unconventional rhythms are being pounded out with tight precision amongst all musicians.  The very "Maynard James Keenan"-esque vocals add to the intensity, which includes melody, long-held fading notes and screams from deep within, plus tight harmonies.  I LOVE the sliding bass parts within the basslines.  Can't even call them basslines...the bass is more accurately riffing just as much as the guitars if not more by solidifying its cohesion with those professionally slammed drums.

This is a song that I know I'll never get bored listening to over and over again.  The song never completely repeats itself.  There are changeups, curve balls and gut punches throughout.  As the song progresses, a setting is definitely presented.

"To cower and hide play deaf dumb and blind | Lost all sense of self... | To ignore the redress and succumb to silence | The candles burning both ends.... | Quarter to nigh"

The lyrics hit home hard.  The passion behind needing to stay alert to what's going on around you and fight for your rights.  The powerful delivery accentuates the anxiety-filled instrumentation with deep guttural despair.

I highly recommend this song, plus any other song made by this incredible band for the rock-enthusiast who gets bored of music that is repetitive and lacking emotion and/or substance.  You want rock that has meaning?  This not only has meaning, but crushes it with a sledge hammer.

Honestly, Agency Panic is one my favorite independent artists I've ever heard.  It's hard to be patient, but when a new song does come out, they always deliver a banger!  It's always worth the wait.

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