It took a surprisingly long time for Agents Of Man to make the step up to a label and get a proper full-length album out - especially after the buzz their 2001 EP "AOM>EP01" managed to generate. But now, with Century Media in their corner, they have returned and are ready to hit the road behind "Count Your Blessings", an effort that finds them at both their collective best and worst.

When Agents Of Man focus on their hostile side, the group can bring to mind the beefy heaviness of a toned-down Candiria, complete with aggressive chants and chugging off-timed riffing. These weighty moments comprise the best of what the band have to offer and are instantly cathartic and devastating. However, when setting their sights on their lighter side, the bands syrupy melodies and constant lust for emphatic harmonies border on a pop-punk/hair metal aesthetic that is about as enjoyable as a chocolate-induced toothache.

Normally this wouldn't be so much of a problem, but the band seem dead set on constantly pairing these two aspects of their sound on nearly every track. This flux soon begins to recall a nu-metal direction that does little for the longevity of this release. Couple this with material that seems to go back to the well too often and generally lacks a clear vision and things can get mucky pretty quickly.

Admittedly, with such an open-ended approach and a sound that ultimately gravitates to setting up their lighter side; the band have established a style that does stand out from many of their peers. But with the end results achieved here, there's also a good reason for that.