Track Review: “The Rage” by Aggro

Having burst onto the scene like the beast from the stomach of John Hurt in 1979’s Alien back at the tail end of 2019 with single “This Burden“, Surrey five piece Aggro have been delivering hard riffs, epic choruses and head banging breaks since. EP “The Shift Of Balance” followed a few months later with the band showing off material influenced by bands like Killswitch Engage and Pantera with 90’s Hardcore vibes also very much in the mix. Hardened road warriors on the Underground Metal circuit they’ve clocked up the miles to take the stage with Helestios, Gutlocker and After Smoke clears while entering the London Metal 2 The Masses completion for a chance to play Bloodstock Open Air Festival this summer. 2023 has thus far been a big year for the band on that score so naturally it’s time for new material. March saw single “Take A Stand” drop, one of two mixed and mastered by Ross Walker (Sore Teeth, Bitch’ Hour, Stone Soup), the second being “The Rage”…

Guitarists Phil Williams and Rob Joyce are known for their love of 2003 era Metalcore and here they pull a riff out of the Magician’s hat of pure nostalgia while also nailing the guitar tone.  A classic mid tempo thumper that starts with a “Bleigh!” from vocalist Dan Gallop and doesn’t let up, the clean backing vocals from Williams a signature staple of their live show that gives them another dimension without the requirement to slow down the aggression of the unclean bite. It’s like listening to an As I Lay Dying demo from back in the day with a solid bass line and classy leads, the breakdown in the final third a kick in the guts of a mosh pit filler moment if their ever was one. When it comes down to it, Aggro may not be doing anything you haven’t heard before and they’re certainly not pushing any boundaries but what they do the do so well that they’re worthy of your time. A fun listen with floor filling capabilities, this one confirms Aggro as an immovable object in the scene [7/10]