It's one thing to be able to explain why you like a band; it's another to be able to explain why you can't stand them. Trying to explain why you can't conclude either way is mind-boggling and frustrating. Spanish Thrash-Death Metallers AGNUSDEY have recently come out with their new full-length, "Evil in the Earth". Earth being the operative word; this album is dirty. Dirty, muddy, swampy, thick, as far away from crisp as you can get.

That kind of deluge may well appeal to some people; on a good day, I can definitely appreciate it; there are certain merits in the performance and production. Does it work with the music AGNUSDEY are playing, however?

At times, I'm edging for the 'skip' button; at other times, I find myself subconsciously headbanging. That is why this album is so perplexing. Their ability as musicians is, without a doubt, obvious; "Do Angels Exist" displays that; a terrific Thrash track with a coarse, Death Metal approach; the aggressive, precise drumming on "Global Corruption" is something to remember. Then, however, we come to the drudgingly uninspired "Fucking Killer"; consistency seems to have gone out the window, and I have absolutely no idea why the clean vocals in "Garden of Black Roses" were put there.

I have a good amount of things to commend the band on; their understanding of 'what is heavy and what is trying too hard' is there. They'll have your head off in no time. There are even a few (but far between) instances of technical melody work on the guitar end, and the drumming is fantastic. However, it is reasonable, or at least arguable, that consistency is one of the most important factors in the makeup of a good album, long before it can become a great album, and at this point, there are far more entertaining extreme metal releases this year, for one reason or another.