The Melodic Death Metal genre began in the early 1990's...with first credits going to Sweden's IN FLAMES, and DARK TRANQILITY. Soon after, there was AT THE GATES, and ARCH ENEMY. Of the original four, all are still going strong today, with IN FLAMES being the most diverse, and DARK TRANQUILITY remaining the most relevant. Hundreds and thousands of acts have followed, and the genre has just about played itself out. CREDIC is a Germany based Melodic Death Metal band, originally formed in 2005. They released their debut "Patchwork of Realities" in 2010, and are back now with their sophomore effort titled "Agora," which contains nine tracks.

"Revelation" is a short piano led intro piece. The tones are somber and a bit on the sad side, segueing into "The Masquerade." It has a tough and ballsy sound, with some aggressive vocals and guitar work. No clean singing, just some light harmonies in the chorus. "Alternate Ending" opens with a quick line of electronica and the leads to the main riff. Heaving and crushing, but nothing new. Some of the electronica rears its head again in the chorus, making for some variation. "Mind over Matter" opens a bit lighter with some noticeable bass guitar in the mix. The main riff is weighted and slow moving. Some keyboard notes remind me of DARK TRANQUILITY. "The Eye of the Storm" opens with demonstrative piano that really hits some chords with me. Elegant and graceful, it sets the stage for the main riff that comes barreling in. They found a good formula with this track for sure...a good balance between aggressiveness and beauty.

"The Margins of your Faith" is a deeper and more emotional song that makes good use of keys and background ambiance to tell its story. There are some light harmonies in the guitar work to keep it interesting. "Bring out your Dead" opens with a climbing riff that reminds me of the genre of Doom Metal a bit. Some nice variation here. They bring a good deal of harmony in the chorus also, unleashing some of the twin-guitar assault. The vocals are sung in a few different methods as well. "Outbreak of the Unknown" closes the album, with an opening sequence of eerie keys and a foreboding sound. They need a little work on the main riff however, it just comes off a bit stale.

The vocals are perhaps the best part of the album here. They are thick and meaty, and Scheu is able to variate them to sound different in various ranges where he sings. I've often discovered too much Melodic Death Metal where they have the Death part down, but don't bring enough melody. That is the case here in "Agora." Some more harmonies, keys or even some clean vocal variation could go a long way here. The mood of the album is tough and heavy, but a change-up every now and again could make for a much more memorable experience.