I perused the Teufel’s Tomb review page and failed to see an Oppressor review, which saddened me deeply. I felt it was my duty as a flyer of the death metal flag to review the effigy of Oppressor. I guess this can be considered "old school" death metal to all of the younglings and it reviewing it makes me feel like an old dirk. However, I felt it was necessary to review such a great album by a band that is often misunderstood.

This apparent disapproval of this band may stem from what they have become. Personally, I could care less and when I turned 18, the word "poseur" disappeared from my vast vocabulary. This may be due to the fact that understanding money and paying bills and student loans became more apparent. So when bands leave the spotlight of the death metal scene to play softer music to pay the bills, it somehow makes sense. I cared more about the albums and/or the band that I had enjoyed more than the fat mess they had become. If you didn’t know, the band Soil, My Briefs are Soiled, Soiled, I Have Become or whatever the hell their name is, is comprised mostly of Oppressor members and, I believe, a member of Broken Hope. They had a hit song a while ago which was all the rage at tailgate and fraternity parties everywhere.

Let’s focus on the album on hand. This is an unbelievable release, rivaling some of the best releases in death metal. Some may argue that older Oppressor is better but this album shows the natural progression of the band, in all areas. If you are familiar with their previous album Agony, imagine a more fine-tuned disc with a much better recording. So, it may be a blessing in disguise for the band to disband, for it would have been quite a feat to top this album. It has all the elements of a great album: quality songwriting, highly technical riffs mixed nicely with some slower grinding parts and a sprinkling of melody, fast drumming that is on-time, incredible production, and all without filler songs (an incredible listen from start to finish). I have to mention that there are some real stand-out points to this disc. As I stated before, the riffs, for the most part are fairly technical, yet they are played with such precision which is aided by the clarity of the recording which really differentiates each note. The solos are well-placed, which is critical. I do not remember where I read this, but I do remember an interview in which the person stated that solos are annoying in most death metal and should only be played by Morbid Angel, Suffocation, and Slayer. While I tend to disagree, I often find that solos fall into two categories: A) Look how fast I can play! (regardless if it goes with the riff) or B) I’m making believe I’m showing off at Guitar Center or Sam Ash! However, all of Oppressor’s solos are played with accuracy and truly fit the riff at hand. The vocals are brutal in a gruff, yelled sort of way and are a welcome departure from the excessively soft vocals on their previous album, Agony, which sounded like later-day Fear Factory vocals injected with estrogen. In addition, the instruments in general, are all played at the maximum speed without seeming cheesy or the sole intent of trying to out-blast all other bands and flex one’s "musical muscles". Controlled, purposeful, and well executed technicality was Oppressor’s forte.

Is it possible to create a "listener-friendly" death metal album that appeals to all types of death metal fans? Oppressor believed so and they executed it perfectly. This is a flawless album that would appeal to all fans, from the technicality freaks to the sewage-loving mosh fans. Personally, "Seasons" is my favorite song, which is from their first album and I miss the acoustic/double bass song intros. However, I have always been an Oppressor fan for their brutal albums and their ability to produce great albums regardless of the common consensus. It’s obvious that their "I don’t care" attitude has taken them to new and rockin’ heights, but do not dismiss their former glory. For some reason, Oppressor always flew beneath the radar of most death metal fans and never received much attention. A shame indeed! Look what you turned them into!

Written By: Double Ds