Los Angeles group Agriculture calls their style ecstatic black metal, mixing bright chords with gale-force drums. They came out of DIY rooms with a sound that favors joy over grimness without losing intensity.

Joy at blast-beat speed

Expect a set that pulls from their self-titled era, with cuts like The Glory of the Ocean, Relier, The Well, and Look, Pt. 1. The crowd skews mixed-age and curious, with metal lifers next to shoegaze listeners, and plenty of people who sing along to wordless hooks. Trivia heads note they track as live as possible and work with The Flenser, which suits their raw but radiant edges.

From basements to bright stages

You might notice gang vocals used like a drum fill, popping in to lift the room between surges. All talk of what they might play and how it looks is an informed hunch, not a guarantee. Even when tempos fly, the mood stays communal rather than confrontational.

The Agriculture Crowd, Up Close

The scene leans communal and curious, with black denim beside bright scarves and a few hand-painted patches nodding to The Flenser catalog. Pre-show chatter tends to be about records and pedals, and the line at the zine pile can be as busy as the shirt table.

Choir vibes, not brawl

When Look, Pt. 1 or another chant-friendly passage hits, you hear soft group shouts that feel more like choir than mosh call. People swap earplugs, share water, and step back when someone needs air, which keeps the floor friendly for long sets.

Art-forward merch and talk

Merch skews thoughtful: screen-printed tees, lyric booklets, and small-run tapes that match the DIY roots of Agriculture. After the last swell, many stick around to talk tone and arrangements, treating the night like a small community meetup.

How Agriculture Shapes the Storm

Agriculture rides high, bright tremolo lines over blast beats, then snaps to mid-tempo passages where voices bloom in harmony. Vocals sit upfront for this style, more chant and call-and-response than shriek, and the band leaves space so words cut through.

Blast with a smile

Arrangements often stack two guitars on different shapes to make a glow, while the bass anchors with simple, steady pulses. A common live move is flipping a blast into a gallop for a few bars, which makes the next surge hit harder.

Details in the din

They sometimes link songs with droning bridges, turning two tracks into one long breath. Lighting tends to be white and clear during peaks, then cool and dim in the reflective breaks, matching the push-pull in the music. A neat detail: they favor ringing open strings in major shapes, which keeps the roar bright even when the drums are at full sprint.

Kindred Ears for Agriculture

If you camped out for Deafheaven, you will recognize the bright-to-crushing arc and the shared love of big, skyward chords.

Brightness inside the roar

Liturgy fans track the philosophical, ecstatic angle, plus the rush of long-form pieces that move like weather. Alcest brings the dreamlike glow that mirrors Agriculture's warmer harmonies and soft-focus breaks. Holy Fawn is a good touchpoint for slow-bloom dynamics that erupt without losing a sense of wonder.

Fans who cross the aisle

Fans who like heavy music that still feels open-armed tend to move between these projects easily. If those names sit on your playlists, this show will feel like another branch on the same tree.