Oppressor is a

technical death metal Technical death metal (also known as tech death) is a musical subgenre of death metal with particular focus on instrumental skill and complex songwriting. Technical and progressive experimentation in death metal began in the late 1980s and early ...

band from

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, which formed in 1991 and disbanded in 1999. They released three albums. Three of the band's members went on to form

alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by ...

band

Soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...

History

Oppressor was started in May 1991 by Tim King and Adam Zadel. A month later, they found another guitarist, Jim Stopper, and a drummer, Tom Schofield. They recorded their first demo, ''World Abomination'', in 1991. A second demo, ''As Blood Flows'', recorded in 1992, got them a record deal with Red Light Records, who released their first full-length album, '' Solstice of Oppression'', in 1994. Shortly after the album's release, Red Light went

bankrupt Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the de ...

and the band was forced to find another label. In the meantime, the band released a one-off live album/compilation album with Megalithic Records, entitled '' Oppression Live/As Blood Flows''. Megalithic, a Milwaukee, WI label, also went bankrupt after a few months of activity. They managed to score a record deal with Olympic Recordings and released ''

Agony Agony may refer to: Concepts * Agony, a terminal state of the body before death *Suffering of intense degree, relating to physical or mental suffering *Agony in the Garden, Christ's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane Comics * ''Agony'' (book), ...

'' in 1996. In 1997, three-quarters of the band, bar Jim Stopper, started an

side project called

, with

Broken Hope Broken Hope is an American death metal band from Chicago, Illinois. History Broken Hope was founded in 1988. They were known as an accomplished mid-paced style death metal band with low-pitched growling vocals. As a band, they were active for ...

guitarist Shaun Glass and

Ryan McCombs Ryan McCombs (born July 16, 1974) is an American musician best known for being the vocalist of alternative metal bands Soil and Drowning Pool. Career Soil (1997–2004, 2011–present) McCombs was discovered by Soil through a compilation CD ...

. In 1998, Oppressor released their final album, ''

Elements of Corrosion ''Elements of Corrosion'' is the third and final release by technical death metal band Oppressor. It was released in 1998. Track listing Personnel ;Oppressor * Adam Zadel – guitarist * Tim King – bass, vocals * Tom Schofield – drums ...

''. When in 1999 Soil become more popular than Oppressor, the band decided to part ways. In 2021, vocalist Tim King announced his return to death metal with a new band called Embryonic Autopsy. The Embryonic Autopsy debut album ''Prophecies of the Conjoined'' was released by

Massacre Records Massacre Records is an independent record label based in Abstatt, Germany, specializing in bands from the heavier genres of metal. The label was founded in 1991 by Torsten Hartmann. Associated with Massacre Records are the marketing and music ...

in February 2022.

Musical style

Oppressor played

death metal Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...

in a style that came to be known as technical death metal. They were influenced by bands like

Morbid Angel Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida, formed in 1983 by guitarist, primary composer and sole remaining original member Trey Azagthoth, vocalist and bassist Dallas Ward, and drummer Mike Browning. Widely considere ...

Death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...

Gorguts Gorguts is a Canadian death metal band formed near Sherbrooke, Quebec, in 1989. The band has gone through various membership changes since its inception; its only constant member has been guitarist-vocalist and co-founding member Luc Lemay, wh ...

, and

Suffocation Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body which arises from abnormal breathing. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects all the tissues and organs, some more rapidly than others. There are m ...

. Their lyrical themes usually centred on conventional themes such as death, suffering, and moral depravity. They were also one of the first death metal bands to incorporate keyboards into their music.

Members

Former

* Tim King - lead vocals, bass, keyboards (1991-1999) * Adam Zadel - guitar (1991-1999) * Jim Stopper - guitar (1991-1999) * Tom Schofield - drums (1991-1999)

Discography

Demos

* ''World Abomination'' (1991) * ''As Blood Flows'' (1992)

EPs

* ''Oppressor'' (1994, Funeral Mask)

Studio albums

* '' Solstice of Oppression'' (1994, Red Light) * ''

'' (1996, Olympic) * ''

'' (1998, Olympic)

Compilation albums

* '' Oppression Live/As Blood Flows'' (1995, Megalithic) * ''The Solstice of Agony and Corrosion'' (2009, Mortal Music)

External links

Oppressor at Encyclopedia Metallum
* Oppressor at AllMusic {{Authority control American technical death metal musical groups Musical groups established in 1991 Musical groups disestablished in 1999 Musical groups from Chicago American musical quartets 1991 establishments in Illinois