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AGGRESSION
Feels Like Punk, Sounds Like Thrash

Dissonance Productions (2018)
Rating: 8/10

I don’t like the title of this one at all. Feels Like Punk, Sounds Like Thrash is far too cheesy a title for my liking but even so, the fourth album from Canadian thrash stalwarts Aggression should be a welcome addition to any record collection.

In 2016, the guys released their first record (Fragmented Spirit Devils) since 2004’s previously unreleased Forgotten Skeleton (originally due in 1986), but before that you’d have to delve into the foggy depths of the 80s for debut platter The Full Treatment (1987).

Only axeman Denis “Sasquatch” Barthe survives from the halcyon day, or even from 2006 for that matter, with drummer Ryan Murray Idris and guitarist Dave Watson joining the band in 2014 alongside vocalist Brian Langley. Bassist Jon Power was an even later addition, meanwhile, joining in 2016. With a band so seemingly long in the tooth, so to speak, it’s nevertheless only natural that original members come and go. However, the main thing here is that the sound still kills.

Feels Like Punk, Sounds Like Thrash shoots out nine tracks that thankfully live up to expectation, especially if, like me, you enjoy blistering, cutting thrash metal. After a short instrumental (‘Avalanche’), the fury comes thick and fast as the strangely titled ‘Attack Of The Ice Lizards’ comes fizzing in on raw, energetic chords and an expected 80s style of seething catchiness.

It is thrash metal played simply but with a knowing, and what really adds extra beef are the almost deathly vocal grunts and rasps which will no doubt set Aggression apart from the flurry of pretenders to the throne. The tone of Langley’s voice will come as a surprise to many; his gruff slurps of snarling menace are so grizzly that an extra dimension to Aggression’s sound is immediately apparent as the double axe attack grates and gouges with utter compelling malevolence.

‘Jehovah’s Evil Curse’ enters on a steady rhythm with commanding percussive beastliness and dark twisting riffage, and that sinister tempo remains. A bizarre yet fruitful combination of doomy spirals and then with nary a vocal in sight, at the 1:37 mark a sudden kneejerk reaction takes place as Aggression suddenly come hammering with such throttle that those halcyon days of The Full Treatment – and more so the recent Fragmented Spirit Devils opus – seem very much in the dark, forgotten past. This is one hell of a scathing track; the guttural growls and meaty chops suggest a cutting edge but pulverising act keen to move into the now, rather than dredge up a retro edge from their cult lineage.

Frantic guitar blitzes attack the listener as ‘Tales Of Terror’ comes with a punky edge, particularly with that no frills spitting chorus. While it’s essentially hurried, aggressive thrash, the versatility Brian Langley offers is astounding; one moment barking with hideous fashion, and the next giving Bad Brains’ legendary vocalist H.R. a run for his money.

‘Stench Of Your Mediocre Existence’ comes trouncing like a crusty, frothing crossover heap of rancid pace, while ‘Riding With The Living Dead’ gallops with hectic notions as a wailing lead fizzes with dastardly aplomb. However, ‘Riding With The Living Dead’ is also one of the album’s more melodious moments, the vocals less fractious by design as the guitars scurry, and yet the gruesome slurps return with ‘Torturing The Deceased’ and are also tarnished with a devilish squawk too.

Aggression really does live up to their name, coating those surging slabs of percussion and bass with unhealthy, fiery chord structures which scorch the face. ‘Once Upon A Time In Hell’ begins like some 80s traditional metal gem before a punky sprint ensues, but the melody is still present, especially with the unconventional vocal attributes which even express an unearthly wail.

By the time the nasty, speeding and brilliantly titled ‘A River Of Piss And Vinegar’ comes hurtling like bullets laced with a myriad of obscenities, it’s clear that Aggression are trying to fit as much energy and attitude into this release, as if suddenly aware of a lack of time.

Fully armed to the teeth like old punks swigging beer and yet influenced by numerous extreme metal styles, they’ve created an apocalyptic lump of engaging yet volatile metal that bubbles with spit and fumes with impatience. Long live the 80s indeed, but Feels Like Punk, Sounds Like Thrash is very much a modern venting of anger.

Neil Arnold

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