Dating back to 1985, Chile’s Atomic Aggressor are one of the absolute best underground death metal bands. Their early demos (especially 1989’s “Bloody Ceremonial”) are among my favourites. Now back with their second full length album, it’s time for obscure and evil forces to be set free! Out via Hells Headbangers on August 28th.
Some wild howling kicks us right into oblivion with bludgeoning drums and savage guitar work soon following suit. Atomic Aggressor waste no time in showing they mean business with their unrelenting and tight death metal onslaught. Fans of Mortem, Pentagram (Chile), Morbid Angel, Possessed and Sadistic Intent will be truly blown away by their ferocious brand of extremity. From the unruly riffing to the wild drum fills and monstrous vocals, these maniacs have the complete package. The production is super clear allowing you to feel every malicious note, beat and syllable while not losing the impact of the playing at any moment. For me there is one thing out of place and that’s the artwork, it looks quite modern or digital (I really hope it is not AI). Edit: the artwork was made by Enrique Zúñiga (the bands guitarist). But anyways, aside from this element, the record is undeniably fierce. From slower incantations to full-bore insanity, we are always moving at extreme and volatile paces in a truly exhilarating manner. “The Occult Forces” is off to an explosive start.
Death metal, back in the day, had all these interesting melodies and dynamics that would convey a genuinely terrifying and oppressive atmosphere. Atomic Aggressor have held onto these archaic roots with a vice-like grip and kept the mean-spirited darkness alive in every aspect of their music. It’s technical but in a way that is used as a weapon rather than a means to show off. Even the fantastic soloing manages to fit the aggressive mood of the album. Fusing occult and Lovecraftian lyrics with such viscerally potent death metal is a match made in the bowels of hell and here it is executed supremely well. Ripping through blasphemous tracks with maximum destruction and fiery atmosphere, there is no arguing that while the wait for albums from Atomic Aggressor is always on the longer side, they are always worth it. Total savagery and carnage!
Hearing a band so far into their career still delivering such high quality songs and a coherent vision is always a pleasure. These guys not only deliver the goods conceptually but their musicianship is extremely tight and well-executed. Every guitar riff or solo, bass line, drum attack or vocal line is of the best grade. Although the songs are slightly on the longer side, they keep them interesting with these frantic progressions and clever twists to add excitement. Each of these eight pieces is a twisted offering of macabre insanity that is a pleasure to digest, especially in the whole context of the ruthless album. Malevolent until the end, this is a crushing exhibition of classic death metal strength and prowess. The demos will always be my favourites, but it’s still excellent to hear new material that upholds the bands vision. Bleed in the altar!
An unrelenting slab of vicious mayhem from the Chilean death metal horde. This is an unwieldy and killer record that will certainly possess all fans of death metal at its most evil. If you expected some modern reinvention of the genre, you are in the wrong place. But if you wanted to revisit the 80s death metal morbidity with full speed and aggression, wicked songwriting and that Latin wildness; then you are in the right place. Balancing the creepy, atmospheric moments with brutality of the most punishing and destructive order, there is no denying that Atomic Aggressor has still got it. While I cannot give the most points for originality, surely they get a pass for 40 years of service and being an originator in the first place!
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