Album Review: Aggression - Frozen Aggressors
Reviewed by Sam Jones
Amongst the annals of Canadian thrash metal, Aggression might be one of the more underrated names. Forming way back in 1985 under the name of Asylum originally, the band took up the name of Aggression in the same year and released a number of demos that culminated in their 1987 full length debut: The Full Treatment. The band broke up not long afterwards however and wouldn’t be active for the long term, aside a brief stint in 2005 ending a year later, until 2014 where Aggression had given us an EP, Compilations and several albums, the latest of which being their 2022 From Hell With Hate. Fronted by original, and sole remaining member, guitarist and vocalist Denis Barthe, Aggression return once more with their sixth full length release slated for a December 1st window and through Massacre Records no less. I was curious to see what this record would hold for us.
It’s been a hot minute since I encountered a thrash record that opted for a riff assault consisting of a higher pitch to its licks and flow. It seems an increasing number of bands are opting for a sound that’s downtuned and lies closer to the ground enabling us to get our teeth stuck into its thicker hides. It’s therefore a nice change of pace herein as Aggression demonstrate what a higher pitch can do for your onslaught. The band’s choice of production enables us to really bask in the more loose, ripping style and since the band aren’t working so hard to keep things tightly bound together, it allows us to feel the speed much more fervently since there are fewer elements bleeding into the songwriting that may interfere with our direct experience of the riffs. The opening track is an excellent introduction as while there aren’t any vocals on display yet, the band essentially explain the style of riffing we’ll be subjected to for the duration of their record.
This goes hand in hand with the band’s stripped back ethos of mixing too. Listening to this Aggression record is a far cry from experiencing another thrash piece as it’s clear Aggression wanted Frozen Aggressors, in spite of its slick cover art and menacing band logo, to exude a clear and unbridled passion for thrash that can be lost on younger bands going at it themselves. Thrash, at its heart, is all about the unrepentant force of banging your head and seating your body to the mosh pit as hard as you can with zero apology given, and Aggression manage to encapsulate that ideal wondrously with this album’s sound. The bass is excellently audible at all times which helps layer their sound with another dimension that fans, new and old alike, can appreciate and pay attention to should when the riffs slow or change course when needed. Rather than listening to a clenched fist trying desperately to keep things together, Aggression embrace the released grip whereby control is utterly relinquished and the music itself is allowed to breathe.
But we mustn’t fool ourselves into thinking that just because Aggression sport a less refined production quality that it means their songwriting is automatically sub-tier, because it certainly is not. Aggression have after all been making music since the mid-80s, nearly forty years ago now, and in that time they understand precisely what makes fans of heavy music, and thrashers particularly, tick and return to their music. While the band do employ steadier segments where the pace slows a touch, and a full-band vocal delivery can be implemented, the overall emphasis of this record is speed and dishing out as much fire as they can possibly hurl. What’s more, owing to the style of production and mixing, the band’s subject matter may be along the same serious lines of other thrash acts yet due to the songwriting it’s coated with a fun sheen that enables us to, seemingly, dive in head first since the band themselves are looking to get some fun out of their performance themselves.
What I have to give credit to Aggression for can be found in their vocal performance. Instead of a delivery that tries to be as ruthless or maniacal as can be, the vocals aren’t really anything special. The actual vocal performance feels like it could fit within any kind of metal record and be totally at home, yet it’s due to that fact that they fit well within Aggression’s songwriting. The band are vying for anything overtly bloody or relentless; it’s old school thrash that’s played in that manner and thoroughly acknowledges that it is old school thrash. It isn’t a band aiming to be something it’s not, Aggression fully know who they are and what fans want and they’re completely at peace with this less serious variation of thrash metal. Frankly, that’s not a bad thing as my listening experience of Frozen Aggressors was an utter blast; there was never a point where I wondered where the riffs were taking me because I was always on board with the ride Aggression had mapped out for me. Granted, you’ll hear better vocal deliveries from thrash before the year is likely out but few will immerse you so completely within the band’s idea of what thrash is to them.
In conclusion, Frozen Aggressors is not going to end up on most people’s best albums of the year lists but it will nonetheless provided listeners with a ripping, fantastic time that completely immerses them for nearly forty minutes straight. Sometimes you need a thrash record that utterly forgoes any notion of trying to be a “serious record” and instead simply relishes in all that it knows it is at its core: a record that can entertain and take you out of your current place. It’s good to see Aggression making this comeback as of late, but it’s also pleasing to see they aren’t too concerned with trying to be something that they’re not; they know who they are and the style of threads they’re comfortable table with and frankly, it’s good quality too. I enjoyed my time with this record, and that’s ultimately what matters.
