Towards Beyond＜Red/Black Marbled Vinyl＞

When God put England and France on the world map, he/she obviously offered them the following set of choices: One would be famous for its top-notch rock & roll, the other for its delicious cuisine, while both would suffer the inversely cruel fate regarding the other option. Who picked what is patently clear of course, and, regrettably for French death metal band Agressor, this is a record, not a restaurant review. All joking aside, however, France's all-around contribution to the rock world, and especially the heavy metal subgenres, did show vast improvement during the 1990s, and Agressor's wise decision to sign with Sweden's Black Mark in order to benefit from the label's vast knowledge and recording expertise in that arena helped the band's second album, Towards Beyond, to no end. The group's somewhat muddled songwriting still lacked the dynamic variety and imaginative invention to match its adventurous, sci-fi-tinged lyrics (a distinct Voivod influence, no doubt), but in terms of pure energy, manic speed, and jaw-dropping execution, Agressor already struck a commanding presence. Therefore, casual listeners won't find much to gawk at here, but serious thrash/death enthusiasts will get a kick out of bright moments like the ultra-complex "Hyaloid," the refreshingly old-school "The Crypt," and the brilliantly named "Positonic Showering." ~ Eduardo Rivadavia