The Agonist Take on Hozier’s ‘Take Me to Church’ in New Video
Did you ever take a listen to Hozier's ever-present 2014 hit "Take Me to Church" and think, "What this needs is a killer guitar solo and to be rocked out more?" If that's the case, then The Agonist are granting your wish! They've just unleashed the video for their cover of the song, putting their stamp on the well-known track.
The clip is shot in the studio, with the band fully embracing the joy of adding their own spin to the track. It opens with Vicky Psarakis' solitary vocal, which only grows stronger as her full rasp delivers the power needed to go along with the band's arrangement. Though the cover is fairly faithful, it's a bit more rocked up with a swinging drum beat and some nifty hopping around the fret board after the first stanza is delivered. And by the time the guitar solo comes in, The Agonist have made it their own. Psarakis powers toward the conclusion, ending on a high note, literally!
Guitarist Danny Marino states, "It was fun to record a cover of a song that is so different from our material. Even though it is not metal at all, the song itself is very dark and meaningful. That's why we felt it could be really interesting as a more upbeat Agonist song. I'm happy that we were able to keep some elements while drastically altering others. We're also really pumped to be getting back out on the road in February with DevilDriver, Death Angel and Winds of Plague."
As Marino stated, dates are on the horizon. The band will kick off the run with DevilDriver, Death Angel and Winds of Plague on Feb. 8 in Santa Ana, Calif. See their schedule for the run listed below. And if you like The Agonist's cover of "Take Me to Church," be sure to pick up their Five album, which is out now.
The Agonist With DevilDriver / Death Angel / Winds of Plague Tour Dates
2/8 -- Santa Ana, Calif. @ Observatory
2/9 -- Los Angeles, Calif. @ Regent Theater
2/12 -- Denver, Colo. @ Summit Music Hall
2/14 -- Chicago, Ill. @ Portage Theater
2/15 -- Toronto, Ontario @ Phoenix Concert Theater
2/16 -- Montreal, Quebec @ Corona
2/17 -- Worcester, Mass. @ Palladium
2/18 -- Reading, Pa. @ Reverb
2/19 -- Patchogue, N.Y. @ Emporium
2/20 -- Baltimore, Md. @ SoundStage
2/21 -- Dayton, Ohio @ Oddbody's
2/23 -- Dallas, Texas @ Gas Monkey
2/24 -- McAllen, Texas @ Sofie's
2/25 -- Houston, Texas @ Scout Bar
2/26 -- Austin, Texas @ Grizzly Hall
2/28 -- El Paso, Texas @ Tricky Falls
3/1 -- Mesa, Ariz. @ Club Red
3/4 -- Portland, Ore. @ Hawthorne Theatre
3/5 -- Seattle, Wash. @ Studio 7
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