Nearly 4 years into this webzine, I ask myself why I even bother reviewing new albums from classic thrash bands. 9 times out of 10, these releases fall painfully short of past glories, usually due to a result of uninspired songwriting, sterile production, or a combination of both. The exception to this rule is if your band’s name is Overkill. So imagine my shock when upon reviewing Frozen Aggressors, the latest album from Canadian veterans Aggression, I found myself not just face to face with a rock solid thrash album, but one that channels the raw energy of yesteryear.
For those out of the loop, the Aggression story goes back nearly 40 years when they formed under the moniker Asylum. They were rebranded Aggression a year later and have been thrashing on and off ever since. Although they aren’t as globally recognized as their peers Razor, Voivod, and Annihilator, they were grinding it out right alongside them, unleashing a true brutal thrash classic in their debut, The Full Treatment (1987). With their ridiculously fast tempos and proto-death metal maneuvers, Aggression were regularly labelled “the Canadian Dark Angel”.
Fast forward some 35+ years later and Aggression are still thrashing with a vengeance. For the most part, Frozen Aggressors is a clinic in maximum brutality. Cuts like “Circus of Deception”, “Song #666”, and “Queen of the Damned” boast cutthroat riffs, pulverizing drumming, and super-sonic speed that’s guaranteed to make you bleed. The lineup may have changed (only guitarist/vocalist Denis “Sasquatch” Barthe remains from the early days), but the old school spirit remains the same. Furthermore, the production is considerably retro and the lion’s share of these songs boast their own singular identity, which are two big pluses.
As much as I dig these no frills thrashers, my favorite cuts on here are the ones that can be characterized as black/thrash. No doubt Barthe must’ve been listening to his old Venom records when writing “Crib of Thorns” and “Satanic Cult Gangbang”. The former boasts rockin’ Welcome to Hell-esque riffage and punky d-beat drumming, while the latter is a maniacal outburst of devilish rage containing some of the sickest lyrics I’ve heard in a metal song in a long while. From the delivery to the arrangement and every musical aspect in between, both of these songs sound straight out of extreme metal’s earliest days, instantly earning a spot on my “liked songs” playlist.
The only song on this album that doesn’t do it for me is the 8+ minute prog-thrash suite, “Hyperspectral Winter Incursions”. Sure, there’s some flashy musicianship abound, but by and large, the grandiosity of it all feels out of place on what is an otherwise balls to the wall classic thrash assault. This misstep aside, I have to hand it to Aggression for remaining this, well, aggressive after all these years. I’ll gladly take Frozen Aggressors over the tired mediocrity we get from other thrash acts of the era, or the cornball hive minded monotony of modern thrash bands for that matter. Contrary to its title, Frozen Aggressors is burnin’ hot!
7 out of 10
Label: Massacre Records
Genre: Thrash Metal
For fans of: Dark Angel, Sacrifice, Slaughter