the newspaper: How did Aggressor form?
Brian: Well this is a really shitty story; my dad has a ball sack full of sperm and he shot it into my mom and then we [Brian and Chris] were born. And uh… we started playing music when I was 14 and Chris was 12. We just kinda started jamming and then moved to Canada from Germany and we formed it from there.
Chris: Basically because of this whole heavy metal scene in Germany, we were introduced to it at a very young age.
tn: Chris and Brian, you both recently migrated to Toronto from Ottawa. Considering the metal scene in both cities, which do you like more?
Brian: It’s a very intimate and close, small scene in Ottawa. The metal scene in Canada itself is very stagnant. There are a lot of really great bands out there but it’s not like every weekend you’re gonna see a great show. Here in Toronto you can go and see the same band play every single weekend. I love the Toronto scene here as well because there are so many opportunities and we’re just babies right now here in Toronto.
tn: This new album that is coming out, what is different about it in comparison to your last ones?
Chris: This one’s more melodic and Brian really uses his voice. He has a nice acoustic voice… there’s more singing and harmonies.
Harut: To the average, non-metal listening person I think that’s the first difference you pick up, the first record is all screaming, now it’s more singing.
tn: What’s your favourite song from the new album?
Brian: If I had to choose one I’d say the song Redemption, the last song on the album, because you only have to endure one more song and then it’s over and it’s awesome and you can go on to a better album to listen to! But no… creatively it was a lot of fun to make...
tn: Is there a personal story behind it?
Brian: Yeah I’ll be totally honest about it I have anxiety or whatever and I have to take medication for it and stuff and it sucks balls so I felt like this was at a point when it was starting to break and I wasn’t taking anything for it... and music was like therapy for me.
tn: Any funny stories from recording this album in the studio?
Brian: I get naked when I drink. I’ve always done that ever since I got drunk the first time when I was twelve. There was this 14 foot wall in the middle of the studio kitchen and I got naked and jumped up there one time when we were staying at the recording studio overnight.
tn: What’s the best part about being on the road?
Brian: It’s weird because you can go city to city and just always be somewhere different and you learn so much more than staying in one spot. It’s just about different people you meet and you learn from their experiences and experience things yourself… it’s the best thing ever.
Harut: Essentially it’s your own group of friends, which you can also call family because you pretty much live together for a long time. It’s kind of a cool feeling where you share that togetherness as a group.
tn: Would you say the live experience has always been the most important part of metal music?
Chris: Sometimes you go see a death metal show and you find that really it’s just a bunch of noise, like, they’ll be doing something really technical and cool, but just noise.
Brian: Cookie monster noises.
Harut: The most important thing is just to have fun when you’re playing. If you’re not having fun the crowd’s not having fun. It’s kind of like a bounce effect and on a good night it’s pretty intense.
tn: Which is better, beers or babes?
Brian: Personally, I’d go books…
Chris: Well Harut and I both have girlfriends, so beers.
Brian: …I’d actually have to say with complete honesty, beer. She’s a great companion.
Aggressor will be playing at Sneaky Dee’s on Friday, February 3 for their album release party, along with 3 other Toronto metal greats; Diemonds, Fatality and Shotgun Cure.
$10
19+.
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