METALLIAN - Agressor

Neverending Destiny - 1990 - Noise
Towards Beyond - 1992 - Black Mark
Symposium Of Rebirth - 1994 - Black Mark
Medieval Rites - 1999 - Season Of Mist
Deathreat – 2006 – Season Of Mist

Members

Vocals

Metral, Bloodthorn, Gods Of Hate>>ALEX COLIN-TOCQUAINE>>Bloodthorn, Gods Of Hate

Guitar

Metral, Witches, Bloodthorn, Loudblast, Gods Of Hate>>ALEX COLIN-TOCQUAINE>>Witches, Bloodthorn, Loudblast, Gods Of Hate - Outburst>>Patrick "Manny" Gibelin - Manu Ragot – Belef>>Adramelech [Joss Sarroche]

Bass

Hellraiser>>Laurent Luret – Hellfire, Outburst>>JOEL GUIGON>>Outburst

Drum

Thierry Pinck>>Loudblast - Deathpower>>Stéphane Guégan – Belëf, Infernal Sodomy, Devilium, Addicted>>Gorgor [Pierre Schaffner]>>Devilium, Addicted, Phazm, Mehr – Disharmony, Imperial Sodomy, Belëf, Arsebreed, Disavowed>>Romain Goulon>>Disharmony, Imperial Sodomy, Belëf, Arsebreed, Disavowed, Monument Of Misanthropy, Necrophagist, Raising The Veil, Benighted, Spectral, Spheric Universe Experience, Arsebreed

History & Biography

Agressor, and its many spelling varieties, must be the most popular band monicker in metal history. While the band of two former Kataclism guys began its black thrashing with some underground momentum in Antibes circa 1985, the inertia of the genre and the band's inability to raise its sound beyond standard slowly killed the band. Alex abandoned Kataclism to Metral only to resurrect his own band and call it Aggressor this time in 1986. Early bassist J.M. "Momo" Libeer was also in Kataclism.

The debut demo of 1986 already thanked former band members. The band finally connects with Boss of Black Mark at the Midem expo in Cannes in 1989. Once the pride of French thrash metal scene, alongside bands like Massacra and Loudblast (with whom a split LP was released), Agressor never really went anywhere despite the untrue boast to have been the first metal act from France to have signed with an international label. Barney of Napalm Death guests on the track After World Obliteration off Symposium Of Rebirth.

The group split up in 1996. The band was back and played with the likes of Loudblast and Bloodthorn in 1999 and signed to Season Of Mist. Alex also moonlighted as guitarist with Bloodthorn on its Red Stream debut. The Merciless Onslaught was a 2004 compilation of early demos. Kévin Paradis (benighted, The Seven Gates, etc.) became the band’s drummer in 2014. The gang appeared at Hellfest in 2016 and again later in 2022. Goulon too had gone on to play with Benighted. Stéphane Guégan died in 2018. Satan's Sodomy Of Death (Demos) was a 2018 compilation of the band’s earlier demos. Satan's Sodomy Of Death (Demos) was a 2018 compilation reminiscent of The Merciless Onslaught, but added the Mixed Rehearsal demo from 1988. 2018’s Rebirth rerecorded a bunch of older tracks. The Order Of Chaos was a 2020 box set from Season Of Mist. Early drummer Destroy succumbed to cancer in 2020. The Arrival was another compilation in 2021.

The band appeared at Anthems Of Steel and Metallian magazine’s Birthday Party in 2022. The group played at Samaïn Fest 2022 and a show with Witches. The band was booked for the USA for Metal Threat Fest 2024 for October.

Reviews

AGRESSOR - SATAN'S SODOMY OF DEATH - GRIMMDISTRIBUTION
This is a collection of the French band's earliest demos released between 1986 and 1989. The first is the three song demo from 1986 called The Merciless Onslaught. It immediately becomes clear that the (at the time) trio could lay claim to be one of the earlier thrashers around. There is a clear Kreator or Tormentor influence on the songs. Alex's vocals also sounds like the Germans with an additional high pitched scream or two thrown in. The song titles are Bloodfeast, Lucifer's Spell and 666. The Satan's Sodomy demo is next and features a title track intro that jumps into Brainstorm. The style is consistent and confirms the thrash credentials of the southeastern France trio. Uncontrolled Desire and Black Church hint at some amount of more emphasis on musicianship. It's Pandemonium is a closing one-minute long song that speeds along and starts with Alex burping into the mic. Mixed Rehearsals is a four song 1998 demo. Bloody Corpse is a speedy opener with Alex singing differently and in a lower voice. Laurent and Thierry (later to join Loudblast) had joined in place of Destroy and Momo for this demo. The band seemed to take another chapter from Kreator and this time there are hints of Terrible Certainty. Kreator's album was released around a year before this Agressor demo. The songs are longer and the demo totals over 21 minutes. Orbital Distortion was released in 1989 with one new song and so called new versions of two songs from the previous year's demo. The new song is Paralytic Disease. It is a short song with a fast solo and a driving riff. A no nonsense death/thrash song overall. The two re-recorded songs are Bloody Corpse and Elemental Decay. They are presented with a slightly clearer and louder recording than their original incarnation. Massacra and Loudblast, of the same era, along with Agressor can claim to be the forbearers of the French thrash metal scene. – Anna Tergel

Interviews

Agressor