OPPRESSOR

Technical Death Metal / Death Metal • United States
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Oppressor was a Chicago based death metal band that was formed in May 1991 by Tim King and Adam Zadel. A month later the band was completed with the addition of Tom Schofield and Jim Stopper. They were heavily influenced by bands like Morbid Angel, Death, Gorguts and Suffocation but also Cynic and some new age jazz music. After having recorded two demo tapes they signed a deal with Red Light Records in 1993, a label which eventually went bankrupt and leading up to a new deal with Olympic Recordings. Their second album "Agony" became the real breakthrough for the band and resulted in an opening slot on Cannibal Corpse's American tour. Three of the band members formed a side project called Soil with Broken Hope guitarist Shaun Glass in 1997. By 1999 Soil had become a successful full-time band and this meant the end for Oppressor.

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OPPRESSOR Discography

OPPRESSOR albums / top albums

OPPRESSOR Solstice of Oppression album cover 3.33 | 2 ratings
Solstice of Oppression
Technical Death Metal 1994
OPPRESSOR Agony album cover 3.58 | 2 ratings
Agony
Technical Death Metal 1996
OPPRESSOR Elements of Corrosion album cover 3.50 | 2 ratings
Elements of Corrosion
Technical Death Metal 1998

OPPRESSOR EPs & splits

OPPRESSOR Oppressor album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Oppressor
Technical Death Metal 1996

OPPRESSOR live albums

OPPRESSOR demos, promos, fans club and other releases (no bootlegs)

OPPRESSOR World Abomination album cover 3.00 | 1 ratings
World Abomination
Death Metal 1991
OPPRESSOR As Blood Flows album cover 3.50 | 1 ratings
As Blood Flows
Technical Death Metal 1993

OPPRESSOR re-issues & compilations

OPPRESSOR European Oppression Live: As Blood Flows album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
European Oppression Live: As Blood Flows
Technical Death Metal 1995
OPPRESSOR The Solstice of Agony and Corrosion album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Solstice of Agony and Corrosion
Technical Death Metal 2009

OPPRESSOR singles (0)

OPPRESSOR movies (DVD, Blu-Ray or VHS)

OPPRESSOR Reviews

OPPRESSOR As Blood Flows

Demo · 1993 · Technical Death Metal
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UMUR
"As Blood Flows" is the second demo recording by US, Illinois based death metal act Oppressor. The demo was independently released in 1993. It´s the successor to the 1991 "World Abomination" demo. Unlike the material from the first demo, which didn´t make it unto Oppressor´s debut full-length studio album "Solstice of Oppression" (released through Red Light Records in April 1994), most of the tracks featured on "As Blood Flows" would be re-recorded and included on said album. In fact it´s only the short intro track and "Eternal Damnation", which didn´t make the cut.

Stylistically Oppressor have changed their style a bit since "World Abomination". The material on the first demo was predominantly heavy and mid-paced (sometimes even doomy) old school death metal, but on "As Blood Flows" Oppressor have honed their skills and they now play faster and more technical, although they still predominantly play a very heavy and often mid-paced death metal style. The growling vocals have become more inhuman and unintelligible (think contemporary Chris Barnes and you´re halfway there), so they don´t possess the same amount of personality as they did on "World Abomination", but they still suit the more brutal and technical old school death metal style of this demo pretty well.

"As Blood Flows" features a sound production, which could just as well have graced a studio album release, so Oppressor probably spend a lot of money recording this demo (and their first demo too, which also features a well sounding production job). So upon conclusion "As Blood Flows" is another high quality demo from Oppressor and it´s the needed step up in quality from the first demo. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

OPPRESSOR World Abomination

Demo · 1991 · Death Metal
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UMUR
"World Abomination" is the first demo recording by US, Illinois based death metal act Oppressor. The demo was independently released in 1991. Oppressor formed the same year and released a second demo in 1993 before being siged for the release of their debut full-length studio album "Solstice of Oppression" (released through Red Light Records in April 1994). The demo features five tracks which are exclusive to this demo. None of the tracks would make it unto "Solstice of Oppression".

Stylistically the material is pretty basic old school death metal in the heavy and mid-paced (sometimes almost doomy) end of the spectrum. The band play very few faster parts (fast...not blasting), and it´s certainly not the dominant pace of the demo. The vocals are brutal growling, but you can hear and understand the words which are sung. Lead vocalist/bassist Tim King actually has a voice and vocal style which aren´t completely different from contemporary Mark "Barney" Greenway (Napalm Death, Benediction).

"World Abomination" features a a well sounding production, and it´s an early 90s death metal demo where you´re able to hear all instruments and vocals in the soundscape. This could well have been released as an official studio EP. Upon conclusion "World Abomination" is a good quality first demo recording from Oppressor, showing a band writing effective and powerful old school death metal, performing it was the right amount of passion and conviction, and who have also managed to pack their product in a near professional sound production. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

OPPRESSOR Solstice of Oppression

Album · 1994 · Technical Death Metal
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UMUR
"Solstice of Oppression" is the debut full-length studio album by US death metal act Oppressor. The album was released through Red Light Records in April 1994. "Solstice of Oppression" has subsequently seen a couple of reissues through different labels. Oppressor was formed in 1990 and released three full-length studio albums in the years between 1994 and 1998. Several of the members are now active in the alternative metal act Soil.

The music on "Solstice of Oppression" is technical death metal. The vocals are deep and unintelligible growls which provide the music with a brutal edge. The riffing is fast and technical, the drumming varied and adventurous, and the songwriting relatively interesting. The monotone and somewhat passionless growls are a minor issue to my ears, but other than that the music on the album is pretty powerful and effective. There are semi-progressive leanings in the music in addition to the technical playing, which especially manifest in the occasional clean guitar parts.

While the music is both well played, decently composed, and relatively well produced, I still feel there´s a lack of memorable moments and few tracks stand out. I suspect it´s primarily because of the monotone growling vocals, but my attention also starts to wander a couple of times during the 9 tracks, 41:42 minutes long album, which is probably due to the general quality of the songwriting. Repeated listens help though and overall "Solstice of Oppression" is still a quality death metal release deserving a 3.5 star (70%) rating.

OPPRESSOR Elements of Corrosion

Album · 1998 · Technical Death Metal
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UMUR
Elements of Corrosion is the 3rd full-length studio album by American death metal act Oppressor. The album was released in August 1998 by Olympic Recordings. As it is, Elements of Corrosion turned out to be the last album released by the band. Several of the members would go on the form the alternative metal act Soil.

The music on the album is technical death metal with the occassional progressive touch. The latter element is very seldom though and this is first and foremost a brutal yet technically well played death metal album with loads of tempo changes and a generally adventurous approach to writing music. Pre-Obscura (1998) Gorguts is still what comes to mind as the primary influence, but also a band like Suffocation comes to mind. Oppressor are an exceptionally well played act and the 9 tracks on the 32:08 minute long album are packed with tight precision playing. The production is good but nothing out of the ordinary.

Elements of Corrosion is a great technical death metal album by Oppressor and I´m sure I would have loved it, had I listened to it when it was released. much water has run under the bridge since 1998 though ( and a lot of great technical death metal releases) and while there are many great ideas on Elements of Corrosion, I still find it lacking that extra something that could have put it among the elite technical death metal releases of the nineties. It´s probably an aquired taste though but I find a 3.5 star rating warranted.

OPPRESSOR Agony

Album · 1996 · Technical Death Metal
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UMUR
Agony is the 2nd full-length studio album by US, Chicago based death metal act Oppressor. The album was released in October 1996 by Olympic Recordings in the US and by Die Hard Music in Europe.

The music on Agony is death metal with a technical edge. I´ve often seen Oppressor compared to bands such as Pestilence, Atheist and Cynic but the music on Agony rather reminds me of the technical yet brutal death metal style on the first two albums by Gorguts. The quality level is also about the same as on the mentioned albums by Gorguts. Which is high allthough I´m not exactly blown away. I really enjoy the vocals by Tim King. Deep growling and very brutal. The band was formed back in 1990 and there´s a distinct old school US death metal sound to the music on this album that´s greatly enjoyable IMO. The technical playing makes the album a bit more than your regular old schood US death metal album though.

The production is powerful and brutal with the growling vocals high in the mix. I´m not a fan of the rather weak bass drum sound, but that might be an aquired taste.

Agony is a pretty great death metal album and it does what good death metal albums should do. It´s brutal yet the songs are memorable and there are several hooks throughout the album´s playing time that helps keep my attention on the music. I wouldn´t call it out and out excellent but a big 3.5 star rating is certainly deserved.

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