Agabas honor Black Sabbath on their sax-attack deathjazz version of ‘The Wizard’

The ferocious union of Death Metal and Jazz has found its way into existence in the shape of the Norwegian six-piece band, Agabas. On the day they release Hard Anger (Deluxe Edition), via Mascot Records they pay homage to Black Sabbath on the wild reworking of ‘The Wizard.’

Talking about the song the Trondheimo/Oslo based band say, 

“Wanting to honour the life and work of Ozzy, we decided it was time to do a Black Sabbath cover. We chose The Wizard because a) it slaps, and b) the harmonica melody presented the perfect opportunity for sax rippage. This cover was not recorded as part of the Hard Anger sessions, it was done a couple of months after Ozzy’s passing, but the sound we’ve gone for is very much a continuation of the Hard Anger sound, so the deluxe version presents the perfect opportunity to show yet a different side of us.”

The band are partway through a European tour with Avatar, giving them a real taste of the bigger stages — something they first experienced while touring with Kvelertak.

The sound is uncompromising. Mercilessly downtuned breakdowns collide with savage, unrelenting saxophone lines that refuse to play a supporting role. The influence of Meshuggah, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and Gojira is unmistakable, but so too is the freeform intensity of John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and Miles Davis.— something distinctive, unruly, and entirely its own.

That depth is no accident. Between them – Sondre Sørensen Brønstad (Vocals), Oskar Myrseth (Guitar), Jarand Aga Baas (Guitar), Johan Jamtfall Eriksen (Bass), Alexander Dellerhagen (Saxophone) and Bjørn André Syverinsen (Drums) – hold jazz performance master’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees in music technology and musicology, and an academic seriousness that underpins the chaos. Singer Brønstad even wrote his master’s thesis on the history and cultural impact of mosh pits. These are musicians who understand both the tradition they draw from and the rules they are breaking. 

Themes of war and humanity coil themselves around their new album. The deluxe edition single ‘KILL’ explores a near-future dystopia where artificial intelligence erodes truth itself. The title comes from the Norwegian phrase Kunstig Intelligens Lager Liv (“Artificial Intelligence Creates Life”), forming an acronym KILL that feels both prophetic and unsettling. 

Far from the blood-and-thunder chaos you might expect, Agabas delivers a flamboyant, cathartic, and overwhelming live experience—intense, loud, and immersive—where the saxophone reigns and bodies collide. They carve out humanity’s horrors on the album. ‘Jævla menneske’ translates as ‘Damn Human’ and features Jørgen Munkeby of Norwegian experimental metallers, Shining.  “‘La Blodet Flomme’ dismantles the nonsensical logic behind conflict. “Are war crimes punished, or is it only genocide if you lose?” asks Brønstad. 

But, above all, Agabas are intent on building community. Inclusivity is foregrounded at their shows and embedded in ‘Arv.’ “Join Agabas and help us create our legacy together,” vocalist Brønstad urges. “We stand together, against injustice.”

Guitarist Myrseth ponders their unique deathjazz sound, “We noticed intense, hard-hitting moments in jazz, like Coltrane in the ’60s, and thought, why not combine that with the heaviness of Meshuggah to create a new kind of hard?”

Deathjazz is an unfamiliar hunger, and Agabas feeds it to you until your body dissolves into rhythm and your heart freezes, perfectly reshaped by the curve of a saxophone

Tour Dates:

Mar 7 – Luxembourg – De Gudde Wëllen, LUXEMBOURG 
Mar 9 – Wiesbaden – Schlachthof, GERMANY*
Mar 10 – Zlin – Datart Hala, CZECHIA*
Mar 11 – Warsaw – Stodola, POLAND*
Mar 12 – Berlin – Columbiahalle, GERMANY*
Mar 13 – Hamburg – Docks Club, GERMANY*
Apr 11 – Oslo – Sub Scene – NORWAY
 
*Supporting Avatar

Tickets are available HERE