Aggressive Measures is the first full-length recording to feature a different vocalist. Founding member Mike van Mastrigt was no longer part of Sinister, and in his place stood Eric de Windt. While not the most impressive of Death Metal vocalists to take over Sinister's vocalist position, given the overall sound and brutality the band strives for, the more generic gutteral approach seemed to work for the release on some levels. Despite this slight set back, Aggressive Measures is still considered a strong offering, but by many it's not one of the band's better releases. Why that is generally runs all over the map, but however you look at it, the recording does boast some good Death Metal cuts.
Well, some of the arguments towards this release can be justified. The music on Aggressive Measures definitely does sound a little different, and the more technological advancements don't necessarily help. The band lost the more raw sound to the recordings, but the instruments have a pretty good amount of distortion and heaviness to them to give them that edge they need, though that edge sure isn't really razor sharp. The music comes off a lot faster this time around too, still retaining some of the groove Death Metal materials, though for the most part it comes off more as technical brutality then a headbanging brutality. There are tracks on here that will instantly have your head banging around uncontrollably, but it feels a lot more restricted then before, opting more for blast beats once again, though for the most part they are typically transitioned into well enough. Given that lack of a razor's edge to the guitars, and less groove vibe that the band has always carried with them, Aggressive Measures doesn't quite hold up to previous offerings, despite some of the best drumming on a Sinister album.
One of the main drawbacks are the vocals. They aren't that bad, but they lack a decent range, and typically sound the same, as well as like any other random Death Metal gutteral vocalist out there. For what the band is doing this time around though, it does work to an extent. The music itself is much more brutal and technical, so the deeper gutterals work to maintain that brutal vibe, but a little extra range also wouldn't have hurt. The only time the vocals really do anything outside the solid deeper gutteral style is a random higher pitched shriek during the title track, "Aggressive Measures", which is very brief and is never performed again. The vocals sound pretty good on some of the tracks, again being there to accentuate the album for what it is, such as on the chaotic "Enslave the Weak", a track that takes on a much faster and highly technical approach to the music. "Beyond the Superstition" is another track that sounds alright with the vocals. While a little more range would have helped it, as well as other tracks, the song itself isn't one of the most unique, even for it's time, so having a more standard vocal approach works and feels as if the band played it safe in one of the better ways available.
Aggressive Measures does have a few things going for it. The music is consistent from start to finish, though it can become a bit of a drag after while since the song never really seem to violate from the same kind of musical compositions and foundations other then to be played a little harder, or a little fast. This is something the listener will pick up on rather quickly here, probably by the time he or she reached "Enslave the Weak". While not the worst thing, there really feels like a lack of variation between the songs. Another perk for this release is definitely that atmosphere. While there's no razor sharp chords or instantly memorable hooks to make your head bop involuntarily, the album is easily one of the band's most brutal efforts. The music flows nicely from start to finish, and quite often the songs themselves are good, but don't really have much going for them other then brutality and speed. There's no denying each track on here is solid, it's just that the songs themselves really aren't all that impressive at times. "Blood Follows the Blood" makes for a fantastic Death Metal track that hammers away at the listener and offers some variety to the music, but it's just one of the few tracks that stands out in a positive light. "Aggressive Measures" also stands out with it's more inspiring introduction, though the music will lose some of it's appeal after the first spin and the listener gets acquainted with the approach on this release.
| 2011 Reissue: |
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Aggressive Measures is the fifth CD in the Altered Since Birth box set. Unlike the first four CDs in this box set, Aggressive Measures, and the albums that follow it, weren't issued back in 2009, and then again for this box set. But, again, the same rules apply. The CD comes in a digipack case with no booklet, as the booklet for the case is part of the special 96 page book included in the box set. The digipack features the original artwork, and the music has been digitally remastered in 24-bit quality. While the album had a pretty clean final product sound to it, this edition nicely adds an edge to the recording, as the guitars and drums are greatly enhanced and sharpened, really adding more of an edge to the recording. This edition also features two bonus tracks, which feature live recordings of "Into the Forgotten" and "Enslave the Weak". Again, like the other live tracks, the recordings sound rather raw and show off the talent the band has outside the studio. These make excellent bonus tracks for the release, and there's no cheap transition or trick from one song to the next. |
While it may not have been one of the strongest Sinister albums, there's no arguing it's perhaps the most "sinister" release (pun intended). Aggressive Measures really casts a different light on the band, as they take their music into a different path all together, leaving behind much of the groove elements to the music that made the songs instantly catchy and lodge them in your skull, sticking to a more technical approach that isn't quite as memorable, but is definitely still a very evil sounding release of technical skill and sheer Death Metal brutality lurking in the speed, aggression, and atmosphere of the release. It makes for a nice side journey for the group, especially with the band's new vocalist in play, but it just lacks the razor sharp edge that was so alluring in the first place. Instead, it feels more bludgeoning with a repetitive foundation on varying tracks. The 2011 reissue does make the audio sound much better, and the bonus tracks are a sweet deal as well, making it the more vital edition of this Sinister release.
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