AGGRESSIVE PERFECTOR Come Creeping Fiends Review
AGGRESSIVE PERFECTOR
Come Creeping Fiends
DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS
2026
Coming March 27th via DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS, “Come Creeping Fiends” is the Sophomore album from Blackened Horror Speed Metal trio AGGRESSIVE PERFECTOR. These ghouls have clawed their way out of Hell and emerged through the streets of Manchester England to deliver a full musical omen, six years after their debut “Havoc at the Midnight Hour”.
The fiends of AGGRESSIVE PERFECTOR have a background in Black Metal, but cite a range of classics as major influences, including Raven, Warfare, Venom, and Tank, as well as modern contemporaries. This didn't surprise me; the album captures a lot of that evil foreboding atmosphere that Black Metal is known and lovingly loathed for. However, it approaches that atmosphere with a depth and variety, that personally hit a lot harder for me than most Black Metal. The whole record has a great sense of theater, without undercutting its menace. It really feels like it's inviting the listener to revel in its Caligulan wickedness.
Throughout the album, I was very impressed by Dan Chainsaw's vocals. They're strictly harsh, no cleans in sight, but he showcases a range of harsh vocals from really low guttural growls to much higher register screams and barks, that keep you on your toes and stop the album from getting monotonous. Instrumentally, the guitar takes center stage, with some great riffs and stings, especially on “Return of the Axe” and “Strange Companion”.
The mix strikes a great balance of being just clean enough to let all the instruments come through, not too much distortion, but not so over polished that it feels sanitized instead of Satanic. The thudding bass and drums, courtesy of Mr. 666 and Intimidator, provide a great foundation. Coming in loud and clear and get their moments to shine too.
Lyrically, “Come Creeping Fiends” draws on a lot of Apocalyptic and post-Apocalyptic imagery. It reminded me a lot of some Industrial tinged Horror Punk, Metal, and Goth bands, especially The Order of the Fly. The sound isn't particularly Industrial, but the aesthetic is, and if that fires your imagination, I think you'll dig it.
My favorite track on the album has to be “Obscene Cult”. It has a slower, doomy, stomp to it, that gives a real sense of something cyclopean and implacable coming. Before picking up, and then slowing down even further into an extended, slow, nightmarish passage. This song, and “Strange Companion”, feature some light keys that add some great contrast to the thrashing guitar and drums, and really deepen that atmosphere of the day after judgment day. I think it showcases the band's willingness to really lean into that evil sound, but without forcing themselves to only do it by being as gnarly as possible, and I applaud them for that.
Other standout tracks include “Harlot's Spell”, which features a lot of tempo changes, that keep it feeling very dynamic and engaging. It absolutely refuses to fade into the background, this is the music of Satanas, and its foreground music dammit!
“Return of the Axe” opens fast and hard, and never lets up for more than a second, to let the listener take a quick, desperate breath before stampeding them again. On the whole, the album might not wow fans of Speed Metal on pure intensity and technical mastery. It's plenty fast, and very good, but if you're used to 200+ bpm in your headphones, it just might not melt your face off. This track is probably going to scratch that itch the best for the speed freaks, and if you're down for something that blends speed and intensity with some really cool atmospherics, I think you'll get down with the whole thing.
The opening track “Dead Undead” and closer “Gallows Eve” both evoke a lot of zombie imagery, which as a big fan of classic zombie cinema, I enjoyed a lot. “Dead Undead” sets the pace nicely, making you feel that sense of running through urban decay, desperately fleeing the equally decaying zombie hoard. Then “Gallows Eve” brings that back and satisfyingly bookends the album with some really sinister pseudo-spoken word.
On “Come Creeping Fiends” AGGRESSIVE PERFECTOR has delivered an Apocalyptic thrash-fest, with impressively rich atmosphere, and bloody horror charm. Those looking for sheer, unrelenting speed and intensity may not click with the album's slower moments, but for those looking for a novel spin on classic Devil Music, “Come Creeping Fiends” is well worth checking out.
RIYL: The Order of The Fly, Combichrist, Wednesday 13, White Zombie
Standouts: “Obscene Cult”, “Dead Undead”, “Harlot's Spell”
- Gwilym