AGGRESSOR

Aggressor is a local (Ottawa, Canada) Thrash band that I finally got a chance to check out live a couple of weeks ago. The old school thrasher in me quickly became addicted to this demo CD. Aggressor can be likened to the Bay Area Thrash bunch in that they play a catchy, sometimes sing-along style of somewhat "clean" Thrash. Tracks like "Mission to Mosh", "Cyanide Children" and "Torturous Ways" are so damn catchy that I've been replaying them in my head ever since I first heard them. Aggressor mix fast, galloping razor-sharp riffs with just enough groove to give this a bit of a catchy sound, without it being a turn-off for those who can't stand groovy Thrash. Little flashes of melody are inserted here and there, almost always unexpected, not unlike what Metallica did back when they played metal (which was a couple of years before the members of Aggressor were born... Been a while. :))

While I found the guitar playing cool as fuck - be it the riffs or some of the high-octane, air guitar-inducing solos, the drums aren't left behind either, leaving the guitars alone when necessary but quickly taking back their place on the throne with some heavy and thunderous parts, when we're not treated to some high speed drum attack. The vocals are clean but a little harsh and just aggressive enough. At times the vocals reminded me a little bit of Testament, with a slightly lower pitch and somewhat gruffier - no growling here whatsoever, the guy sings, and does a good job handling even a few higher pitch screams.

This demo is a damn good mix of mostly old school 80s Thrash with a few early 90s influences thrown in, and Aggressor have the distinction of not sounding much like a copy of their influences. Unfortunately the sound here is a little muffled and low, and takes something away from what is otherwise good production - nothing catastrophic, but still hard to ignore (especially if you forget to turn the volume back down a bit when you put another CD in - trust my blasted eardrums on that one.) But then again, such minor hiccups are to be expected from demo releases. From what I've seen in the local scene, these guys here are pretty serious about pushing Aggressor to bigger things, so Thrash fans reading this might want to keep an eye out for upcoming material, hopefully just as good if not better than what is showcased here. In the meantime, there's plenty of air-guitaring and headbanging for you here — don't let the short length fool you. - The Metal Crypt

The last year and a half has proven to be quite a strong time for Thrash Metal, and if you are at all familiar with my reviews, you will most likely be aware of my obsession with this "Thrash resurrection" of sorts. In the four months that I have been writing here at TMO, I have been introduced to enough solid Thrash Metal to satisfy any cravings I may have had. This new breed of retro Thrash isn’t confined to one particular area either; countries including Italy, the US, Poland and Japan have all produced quality Thrash that would easily satisfy the needs of any retro Thrash Metal fan. Thankfully, all you beer-swilling, Tuque-sporting hosers up here in the Great White North have something to rejoice about as well...

Ottawa’s AGGRESSOR--not to be confused with the dozen other Metal bands that currently (or have at one point in history) sport(ed) that moniker, are a group of young Canadian metalheads with immense amounts of talent in every feasible Metal related category. If you enjoy memorable, singalong Metal anthems, perfectly headbangable guitar riffs, shredding solos or Chuck Billyesque vocals, AGGRESSOR has you covered. Their sound is accessible enough to appeal to the masses, but it retains most of that biting Metal integrity, and these guys balance it just right.

There are moments throughout this self-titled demo where the band’s sound is layered with a heavy dose of groove. "Eye For An Eye" spends a lot of time trudging its way up a hill filled with mid-tempo, crunchy guitar riffs, and the bass guitar’s presence only adds to this feeling of monolithic groove. Unlike bands that focus solely on the groovier aspects of Metal, AGGRESSOR know exactly when enough is enough, and the dirge-like riffs are interrupted by some combination of shredding and an energetic return to the classic Thrash Metal sound. These guys are much more of a Thrash Metal band in the traditional sense, and they don’t hinder any of their musical potential by watering it down.

The drum work found of this demo is excellent to say the very least. It is tighter than a two-year-old, and it features some excellent symbol work and copious amounts of adventurous bounds of technicality. Every note is highlighted by the pristine production value; the fact that this is a self-released demo makes the high production quality all the more impressive.

As previously mentioned, the vocal work (courtesy of Brian Stephenson, who you might recognize as a touring member of ANNIHILATOR) has a heavy Chuck Billy of TESTAMENT quality to it. "Torturous Ways" brings to mind images of "The Legacy"-era TESTAMENT, and it is really pleasing to listen to a man put as much strain on actually singing as he does intensity and vocals force.

I highly recommend you take the name AGGRESSOR (that’s the Canadian AGGRESSOR) and store it in the back of your mind. If I’m not mistaken, Brian Stephenson is in league with North Carolina’s SANCTITY, and I’m not sure how large of a strain this will put on AGGRESSOR’s future. For the time being, I recommend you look into this demo; it will kick your ass and leave you on your knees begging for more.

"Fuck the trend, in the pit we trust". - The Metal Observer