Review AGGRESSION ‘Frozen Aggressor’

Canadian metal outfit Aggression is around since 1984 when starting as Asylum. A years later, the band transformed into Aggression and released a debut album called ‘The Full Treatment’ in 1987. The career of the band didn’t go straight forward and there are years with a hiatus before consistency took over again in 2014.

Driven by funding member Denis Barthe, Aggression released three albums since the returned in 2014. With ‘Frozen Aggressors’ the latest strike of the Canadian metal crew hit the shelves and showcases a band that is hungry for metal.

With ‘Concept of Deception’ and ‘Song #666’ two track have been unveiled already prior to the album release and both tracks can be also found in the top part of the track listing. The tunes are well-chosen, as they mirror the sound of Aggression in good fashion. What blasts out of the speakers is raw and untamed metal that is deeply rooted in thrash- and speed metal of the 80s. While equipped with a modern sound, the band bridges the sound of bands like Venom and the more crossover-driven S.O.D.. Especially the two mentioned songs, with the racing tempo are furious metal tracks that know how to please metalheads.

The further you surf through the album the longer to songs get. There is the dark and evil ‘Holiday in Sodom’ which is a thundering track that has a bigger focus on an evil groove before the galloping ‘Satanic Cult Gangbang’ spreads its sinister vibe.

The closing track on the album is called ‘Hyperspectral Winter Incursions’ and differs from the other seven songs on the album. It is a very sentimental song that goes back to 1987 and is written together with former drummer Gaetan Bourassa, who passed away in 2009. ‘Hyperspectral Winter Incursions’ starts with an in acoustic intro and some spoken words, being the dramatic start into this eight-minute finale. For me, the song is the highlight on the album as it combines the rawness of the other songs with twist and musical finesse. The song is more complex than most of the other tracks and yet entails a catchiness that makes it easy to approach the track. I also had to think a few times of Canadian metal veterans although Aggression sound differently.

All in all we can conclude that ‘Frozen Aggressors’ is a very well-crafted metal album with a rock-solid oldschool vibe while still sound powerful and modern. These guys have a lot of fun in what they are doing and their newest longplayer reflects this from start to finish.