The Agonist is Calling It Quits, Members to Pursue Other Projects
It’s never a fun time to report on this sort of thing, but Canadian metalcore outfit The Agonist announced this morning that they’re done as a group, citing professional, personal, and financial roadblocks making continuing difficult.
This news comes a couple weeks after they were forced to cancel their European tour after determining that moving forward as planned would have caused them to lose a “dangerous amount of money.
“Dear friends, it’s time to make a very difficult but necessary announcement. We have decided that The Agonist as a band, has come to an end. Much deliberation and care has been put into making this decision, and unfortunately, given the circumstances, this is the conclusion that makes the most sense for the band and us as individuals.
“There are many factors that led to this decision. It is a mix of personal, financial and industry related issues, but in the end the 5 of us are no longer able to agree on a way forward that would benefit The Agonist business as a whole, while respecting each member’s personal lives and wishes.
“We want to express our deepest gratitude to the fans for coming out to the shows, buying our merch, and supporting us over the years. Nothing is more satisfying than connecting with our fellow human beings via the gift of music. It is the number one factor that has always driven us- to make you, the listener, feel something. In the end, we know that we’ve accomplished this together.
“Some members of the band will continue to work on music in various ways, others will focus on personal projects and family. We kindly ask you to respect their privacy on this particular matter and encourage you to follow them on their individual social media accounts to support their future endeavors.
“Vicky Psarakis will be carrying on with her band, Sicksense. They have a new EP coming out this summer and she will be playing 2 live shows with them in Montreal, in June. You can also directly support her by following her on Patreon and Twitch.
“Simon McKay is currently looking to join a new band full-time, while offering session work for studio and live gigs. Also, keep an eye out for new music coming soon from his solo project.
“Chris Kells will be focusing on his career as a videographer. Since 2015, he has directed all of The Agonist’s music videos, as well as many other established bands.
“Danny Marino [guitar] is currently writing music for 2 new projects.
“Pascal ‘Paco’ Jobin [guitar] will be releasing new music with his project Leading The Betrayed.
“Our US-based merch store with Sound Escape Agency will remain open. We have also put together an EU-based store for our European fans. Inventory is final and there will be no restocks. Proceeds will go directly to the band to help us pay off our remaining debt.
“We will survive. At the end of the tunnel there’s always a light.”
Their most recent release was a 2021 EP titled Days Before The World Wept, with their last full-length studio offering being their 2019 release, Orphans.
As mentioned earlier, it’s never a happy moment to see a band end on such a downer of a note, especially given the fact they said only some of the members will continue in the music industry at some point. It’s a lot of people’s dreams to hit the stage and play some killer tunes, so for it to all end like this has to suck.
