Don’t get me wrong, there are still technical death metal bands out there doing a great job, but they are few and far between, almost lost in the ocean of a stagnant genre. Things weren’t always like this, back when the internet was something most people hadn’t even heard of there were bands pushing the death metal envelope in ways that left you wondering, “how the hell did they do that?”, without a YouTube guitar play through as a reference point. This was when the excitement was real, and Chicago’s Oppressor was one of those bands creating that excitement.

You may be forgiven for not remembering Oppressor, while they released three amazing albums in the 90s, they never quite got the recognition they deserved, whether it be through a lack of label promotion or a lack of self-promotion through the live circuit, I am not certain. What I am sure of is their small discography remains classic within death metal’s history, at a time when the genre was at its least popular. Many people would perhaps be more familiar with the band formed by three quarters of Oppressor’s line up, along with Broken Hope’s Shaun Glass after the band’s demise. Soil enjoyed moderate success and a heavy rotation on MTV in the early 2000s with their radio-friendly brand of hard rock, but that is just a side note.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tSnW_qPZ6U

Back to the band and release in question, Solstice of Oppression was first released in 1994 on Red Light Records to little fanfare. By this stage in time death metal already had its fair share of bands innovating beyond the boundaries of the now established sound. While the likes of Death, Pestilence, Atheist and Cynic had already made waves with more technical and unorthodox albums, often melding new techniques with influences outside of metal, there were also a handful of lesser-known bands following afterwards such as Europeans Phlebotomized, Disharmonic Orchestra and Pavor, and of course the USA’s Oppressor, all of which released equally as impressive albums as their more established peers. Where Solstice of Oppression stands out as a masterpiece of technical death metal is that it compromises none of the savagery or brutality that the genre was founded on in favour of the progressive and melodic touches of the jazz influences that are scattered throughout the album.

Instead of watering down the raw aggression of the music, these outside elements simply compliment and highlight it. The guitar work in particular is outstanding throughout, I can honestly say that from my memory this was the first time I had ever heard a metal band use a sweeping arpeggio outside of a solo and utilise it in a main riff (please correct me if there was something earlier), a technique which has now become a staple for technical death metal bands. This type of innovation alone is something that calls for Oppressor to be regarded as pioneers, even if their influence has spread far and wide beyond their original fan base, they should be credited with breaking down walls that many bands 20 years down the line never knew existed. I cannot stress enough how important this album was, and yes by today’s standards it sounds raw and unpolished, but it remains a milestone in the evolution of death metal. If you’re a fan of death metal, you should own this album!

This reissue is the first time Solstice of Oppression has ever appeared on vinyl, and has been lovingly presented by Repulsive Echo Records, who have been quietly doing a stellar job resurrecting hard to find and forgotten gems and re-releasing them in extremely well put together packages. Whether you are an existing fan of the band or a new one that needs to add this classic to your collection, I suggest you act quickly as there are only 250 pieces being produced. Catch it before it falls back into sublime obscurity!