In May 2023, The Agonist announced their break-up, which saddened their fans—including myself. The Agonist was not only a band that created exceptional music but also established a lasting legacy with their unique style, inspiring future musicians to build upon their foundation. The final lineup featured the talents of Danny Marino (lead guitar), Pascal Jobin (rhythm guitar), Chris Kells (bass), Simon McKay (drums), and the incomparable Vicky Psarakis.

In my humble opinion, Vicky Psarakis stands out as one of the most gifted vocalists in the Metal/Rock scene today. Her remarkable versatility allows her to lend her voice to any genre of music, and she effortlessly excels in every style. Whether through her covers, work with The Agonist, her new band Sicksense, or her other projects, Vicky consistently demonstrates the adaptability and brilliance of her vocals. Her bandmates at The Agonist similarly had an abundance of talent.

Therefore, to honour The Agonist and bid them farewell, let us embark on a journey through their timeline. We will illuminate significant milestones and events from their nineteen-year history, while also providing valuable context by exploring important events in media and entertainment during the same periods. This retrospective allows us to relive and celebrate the greatness of a band whose legacy will endure even after their breakup.

2004

The Agonist is born

The Agonist is formed in Montreal, Canada.
The band initially consists of: Alissa White-Gluz (vocals), Danny Marino (guitar), Chris Kells (bass), and Derek Nadon (drums).

📅 Meanwhile, around the world:
🔻 Poland, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Malta, and Cyprus join the European Union
🔻 George Bush is elected for a second term as POTUS
🔻 Facebook is launched as a social networking site for Harvard students

🔻Martha Stewart is convicted and sentenced to 5 months in prison
🔻Nightwish release their album “Once”
🔻Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban movie is released in cinemas
🔻Sitcom “Friends” is airing its tenth and final season

2007

Debut album “Once Only Imagined” released

In August 2007, The Agonist released their debut record. The album featured the single “Business Suits and Combat Boots”.

📅 Meanwhile, around the world:
🔻 The new Wembley stadium in England is completed
🔻 Nancy Pelosi is elected as the first female Speaker of the US Congress
🔻 The final Harry Potter novel “Deathly Hallows” is released
🔻 “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” movie is in cinemas
🔻 The first season of “The Big Bang Theory” airs on CBS

🔻 Epica release “The Divine Conspiracy” album
🔻 Anette Olzon joins Nightwish
🔻 Nightwish release “Dark Passion Play” album

2009

“Lullabies for the Dormant Mind” is released

In early 2009, the second album by The Agonist was released. Same year, a music video for the album’s single “Thank You Pain” dropped, later becoming the most watched The Agonist music video on YouTube.

📅 Meanwhile, around the world:
🔻 Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States
🔻 Michael Jackson dies in strange circumstances

🔻 Barcelona win their third Champions League trophy
🔻”Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” movie is in cinemas
🔻 Epica release “Design Your Universe” album

2012

“Prisoners” album is released

The third album by The Agonist was released in June of 2012. The album will become the last to feature Alissa White-Gluz. In included the iconic single “Panopobia”.

📅 Meanwhile, around the world:
🔻 Vicky Psarakis posts a cover for Nightwish’s “Slaying The Dreamer” on her YouTube channel

🔻 Barack Obama is re-elected for a second term as president
🔻 The end of the Mayan calendar which some predicted would also be the end of the world (P.S. It wasn’t)
🔻 Season 2 of Game of Thrones is airing
🔻 The ninth and final season of “The Office” is airing
🔻 Floor Jansen joins Nightwish as a touring member

2014

Vicky Psarakis becomes The Agonist’s lead vocalist

In a series of events that saw Alissa White-Gluz joining Arch Enemy replacing Angela Gossow, and parting ways with The Agonist, Vicky Psarakis was announced as the new vocalist on March 17 2014.
The first single with Vicky Psarakis named “Disconnect Me” was released around the same time.

📅 Meanwhile, around the world:
🔻 Germany wins their fourth FIFA World Cup title in a tournament that was hosted in Brazil

🔻 Scotland remains part of the UK after an autonomy mandate
🔻 USA and Cuba reach an agreement to resume consulates
🔻 Epica releases “The Quantum Enigma” album

2015

“Eye of Providence” is released

The fourth studio album is released in February, becoming the first album with Vicky Psarakis as vocalist. It was also the final album released through Century Media Records as the band signed a deal with Napalm Records the following year.

📅 Meanwhile, around the world:
🔻 NASA’s Dawn probe enters orbit around Ceres, becoming the first spacecraft to visit a dwarf planet.

🔻 Queen Elizabeth II becames the longest-reigning British monarch in history with 63 years, 217 days on the throne.
🔻 “Aquafaba” becomes a word in the English dictionary
🔻 Nightwish releases “Endless Forms Most Beautiful” album

2016

The Agonist releases fifth album “Five”

The first album with Napalm Records was released in September 2016. The album features the singles “The Chain”, “The Moment”, and a cover of Hozier’s “Take Me To Church”.

📅 Meanwhile, around the world:
🔻 Donald Trump is somehow elected the president of the United States
🔻 The UK voted to leave the European Union in what became known as “Brexit”
🔻 Portugal wins the UEFA Euro 2016
🔻 David Bowie passes away

🔻 Epica releases “The Holographic Principle” album

2019

The sixth studio album “Orphans” is released

The Agonist released their sixth and final studio album in September 2019. The album features songs like “In Vertigo” and my personal all-time favourite “The Gift of Silence”

📅 Meanwhile, around the world:
🔻 Vicky Psarkis posts a cover of Bring Me The Horizon’s “Shadow Moses”. The video is her first cover in four years

🔻 The final season of The Big Bang Theory is airing
🔻 A disappointing final season of Game of Thrones is airing

🔻 COVID-19 Pandemic begins: First known case of Coronavirus appears in Wuhan, China

2021

The Agonist releases “Days Before The World Wept” EP

The 5-track EP was released in October. This will be the final record released by The Agonist. The EP included singles released with music videos for the songs “Remnants In Time”, “Feast on the Living”, and “Immaculate Deception”, the latter becoming the last music video to be released.

📅 Meanwhile, around the world:
🔻 Vicky Psarkis releases the debut single “Make Belief” with her new band Sicksense

🔻Epica release their album “Omega” which features spoken words from Vicky Psarakis
🔻 Joe Biden inaugurated as the 46th president of the USA
🔻 NASA’s Mars 2020 mission lands on Mars
🔻The eighth and final season of sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine is airing

May 10th 2023

The End

The Agonist announce they are breaking up.

📅 Meanwhile, around the world:
🔻 NFL legend Tom Brady retires
🔻 Football legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic retires

🔻 Charles III is coronated King of the United Kingdom

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

Dr. Seuss