Artist: Aggressive Perfector
Title: Come Creeping Fiends
Type: Album
Label: Digital / Dying Victims
Released March this year. Yeah I’m a little late to the party with this one, but reasons. Ahem. But damn it had to be done anyway. I first became aware of the band when they supported Visigoth on their two night ‘residency’ and the Black Heart in Camden a few years back. And any time a band grabs you live and the CD you buy is pretty darned cool still a year or so later has to be on to something. The other thing is, essentially, they are three quarters of excellent black metal band Wode. Oh and the drummer used to be in Heavy Sentence (sadly defunct). And the album is half an hour long, which if you’re playing a glorious blend of speed, NWOBHM and thrash would be just about that wriggle inducing sweet spot.
Guess what they play?
‘Dead Undead’ has a lovely bounce out of the gate; melodic guitar speed runs and tempo shift into some real low end power up. The vocals snap and howl and kind of come in somewhere around Slayer and Kreator with a pinch of Motorhead and when that guitar melody kicks in all sense goes out the window and I’m in complete speed metal heaven. Or hell. Depending on my undead status.
It think if this is your first hearing, Aggressive Perfector’s massive energy and melody with the gnarly old speed ‘n’ thrash will be what catches you with a sucker punch. Frankly it is fucking brilliant…
‘Strange Companion’ has that kind of modern but rooted in NWOBHM sound that Wolf used to have, just with barbed wire wrapped around it. Fast, tricky little runs, thumping great drumming and the vocals should have really grown on you by this point. ‘Heavy Metal Horror from the Manchester Morgue is indeed the order of the day, with a great malicious grin on its face.
‘Fiend In You’ is NWOBHM on amphetamines, absolutely lunatic riffing and some fantastic melodic backing vocals kicking in that make me sing along like a happy goblin though the neighbours probably no so happy. ‘Like A Beast’ also proves they know where the lower gears in the box are, at least for a little while. Wolf and Maiden slammed in a speed metal blender with a lot of Manchester sauce and that great groove and bounce is back too.
This is that bloody fantastic sound that makes rock n roll sound flick-of-the-wrist easy but when you really listen it’s anything but. And I swear that writing stuff as catchy as this is a gift from Hell.
‘Obscene Cult’ is pulp horror fiction in metal. A low end riff, mid paced, some eerie winding breaks of guitar, that touch of Merciful Fate I just noticed has been stalking their sound too. and a threat to make it dance like Detroit Rock City gone Lovecraft. I mean, jeez, what more do you want? ‘Denied By The Reaper’ ties its laces, shrugs and just gallops off into the distance, a headlong hurtle round corners with the wheels just about staying on.
‘Harlot’s Spell’ is the album epic. It’s five minutes long. I hope it doesn’t sound odd but honestly it sounds a bit like Heavy Sentence wound up on beer and anger, gaffa taped to a motorbike and let loose. Its got the NWOBHM vibe just nastier. When it slows it sounds like some forgotten classic and only the excellent production gives it away. Hell it even has a false ending!
‘Return Of The Axe’ brings the sirens and the 1980s. It brings the extra speed. It brings the serial killer and an utter rampage. It’s absolutely killer. It’s absolutely joyous. This is end of set stuff, the final chance to shake every bone in your neck loose and ruin whatever’s soft inside your skull. Speed metal at its absolute finest.
‘Gallows Eve’ closes the album. A short, weirdly quiet but honestly darkly beautiful litte fade out.
I’ve had a weird and fairly shit week. But stumbling on this absolutely made my month or more. I completely missed its release date but just goes to show that when the universe want you to remember why you love reckless speeding horror heavy metal, it will shove Aggressive Perfector in your face and you will enjoy it.
Speed thrash heavy metal and absolutely just goddamned aggressive perfection.
Gizmo
Come Creeping Fiends | Aggressive Perfector | Dying Victims Productions
Walking The Liminal Space 