Eyes of Agony Set Release Date for Debut Album “When They Return”, Share “Resuscitation Failed”

Oct 5, 2026

Italian death metal outfit Eyes of Agony will release their debut album When They Return on November 20 via Awakening Records on CD. The band features members and alumni of Excidium, Maleficarum, Beheaded, Hour of Penance and Monumentum, and the first track, “Resuscitation Failed”, is streaming now.

Pre-order When They Return here.

A Veteran Lineup

Eyes of Agony was created by Danny Cinicolo, founder of the old-school Italian death metal bands Excidium and Maleficarum, whose histories stretch back to the mid 80s and 90s. Some of the early compositions were shared on his YouTube channel, Danny Cynic, and the response from its 20,000 subscribers convinced him to write a full-length. He then reached out to Andrea Zanetti, his old Maleficarum bandmate and a veteran vocalist whose credits include Iconoclast, Schizo, Sinoath and Monumentum on the classic In Absentia Christi.

The duo recruited Davide Billia, one of the most technical drummers in the Italian scene, known for his work with Beheaded, Hour of Penance, Antropofagus, Putridity and Septycal Gorge. Billia recorded all the drums at his own MK2 Recording Studios. Guitarist Massimo Boffa (Mind Control, Halley) and bassist Fabrizio Biondi (Mechanical God Creation) completed the five-piece.

Old-School Death Metal

Running nine tracks across 36 minutes, When They Return is pure old-school death metal in the vein of Incantation, Nile, Cannibal Corpse, At the Gates and Death. Despite the geographical distance between members, the record plays like five musicians in one room, with songs that build an evil, suffocating atmosphere dotted with well-timed solos. Luca Nicolucci mixed and mastered the album at Comet Broadcasting Studio, and the cover artwork is by Julian Mortuus.