Artist description The Aggression sports a strong, danceable electronic music married to heavy guitars and impassioned vocals. Hailing from a similar school as fellow New Yorkers Chemlab, the Aggression's raw, streetwise sound veers between the melodicism of New Order and The Mission, and the explosive impact of their post-industrial contemporaries Acumen Nation and Hate Dept. Far from stylistically imitative, the Aggression brings a new dimension to this classic style; dense, synthpop-rooted electronics give way to steamroller guitar riffs, with neither so dominant as to drown out the song. A product of their history and environment, The Aggression create a raw, unadulterated sonic assault coming straight from the clubs and alleys of New York, yet remaining uniquely Aggression.

Music Style Post-Industrial Pop/Rock

Musical Influences Chemlab, The Sisters of Mercy, Ministry, Depeche Mode, The Mission

Similar Artists Chemlab, Acumen Nation, 16Volt, Nine Inch Nails, The Clay People

Artist History The Aggression       F.J. DeSanto (Vocals, Bass, Programming)       Michael "The Kidd" Hess (Keyboards, Programming)       Mike "Ash" Venezia (Programming, Guitars, Keyboards)       Thomas Whitfleet (Vocals, Guitars)       Robin Emmet (Drums) When we last left NYC's most notorious machine rockers, they were at the tail end of a successful series of shows across the Northeast supporting their 1998 CMJ charting remix album, Pure Liquid Ego. A packed, utterly chaotic release party at the Bank in Manhattan featured blistering live versions of new tracks like "Missionary Man," as well as reworked favorites like "Cross," followed by a show at New York's now-legendary Coney Island High. The shows were well received, and critics raved about Ego and the 1997 debut, Whitelineoverride, with Outburn proclaiming they "…definitely look forward to hearing more from this band." Years earlier, when word broke about the band's attitude-driven industrial anthems and the scathing live shows, they ran off to Chicago to work with such luminaries as Van Christie (Die Warzau), Chris Randall (SMG) and Jason McNinch (Pigface, Lick) at Warzone Recorders, leading to the startling '97 debut album, Whitelineoverride, released on Tinman. In 1998 the band released the remix EP Pure Liquid Ego, which featured mixes from 16Volt, Crocodile Shop, Android Lust, and many others, including Mission U.K. frontman Wayne Hussey. Ego also contained four new songs - the product of a collaboration with legendary producer George Hagegorge (Urania and Under The Noise). Outburn called the album, "hard, heavy, and aggressive," and said, "This New York industrial rock band has a crossover sound that is headed in the right direction." Despite the band's growing success, bust-ups, rows, M.I.A. members, and other assorted melodramas threatened to split The Aggression in half. Guitarist Mark Mohtashemi exiled himself to Los Angeles, while keyboardist Michael Hess found himself in trouble with the law in Boston, leaving original members F.J. DeSanto and Tom Whitfleet to appease both listeners and critics, while struggling to satisfy their greatest fans: themselves. With the return of both estranged programmer/co-producer Mike "Ash" Venezia and keyboardist/co-writer Michael "The Kidd" Hess, DeSanto and Whitfleet decided to confront the myth of The Aggression head on by doing what the band has always been known for: great songwriting. Having felt they had "perfected the formula," The Aggression moved away from what The Industrial Bible called "the destructive coldwave turmoil" of Whiteline and Ego and focused more on the sonic and melodic highs of the developing songs. Suddenly, an epic of Euclidian porportions began to emerge: the sophomore release on Tinman, Flood. Larger in scope than their previous efforts, The Aggression branch out into fresh territory with a newfound depth and maturity. The presence of electronics plays yin to the yang of the pop structures, while DeSanto and Whitfleet's vocals retain the passion and pathos of albums past. With Flood, The Aggression have effectively washed away listeners' preconceptions and started anew. With the recent addition of Robin Emmet on live drums (as the very first Aggression drummer, no less), Flood has taken on a new dimension as the band prepares to retake the stage. Dancefloor ragers like "Deviations" now resonate with the thud of a live kick drum, while epics like "The Motive" explode off the stage with unbridled fury. The Aggression of 2002 have a grip on melody, structure, and subtlety worthy of pop veterans. But when it comes to raw power, this band certainly hasn't forgotten its namesake.

Group Members F.J. DeSanto (Vocals, Bass, Programming) Michael "The Kidd" Hess (Keyboards, Programming) Mike "Ash" Venezia (Guitars, Keyboards, Programming) Thomas Whitfleet (Vocals, Guitars), Robin Emmet (drums)

Albums Flood (LP – Tinman Records, 2002) Oxidized EP (EP - through MP3.com, 2000) Pure Liquid Ego (EP - Tinman Records, 1998) Whitelineoverride (LP - Tinman Records, 1997)

Press Reviews "Thick, audacious, synthetic industrial rock is The Aggression. Born in New York during the early 901s, the unique sound of The Aggression is as easily accessible as synthpop, while maintaining a unique style of thunder and angst. The stylistic guitar sound never becomes mundane whilst blending seamlessly with the mischievous programming, all adding to the pummelling. The Aggression also delve into the ambiance of electronic manipulation as well as a surpassingly wonderful acoustic sound, adding balance and diversity to [the band's] overall uniqueness." - excerpt courtesy of Black Monday"Let me just say that this is not a safe record to play if you are driving down the street in your car going really fast and some slow old lady pulls out in front of you. This album has lots of kick that is usually lacked in guitar/electronic crossover music. The electronics are really good and much better than your Ministry open-E string chords with some techno guy turned mush mouth dread locked junkie biker in leather. This is a really good album with hooks, catchy writing, and decent electronics. Buy it and see for yourself. Especially tracks like "The End Of Everything", "Airily", and "Gemini Sky" will get you movin'." -Elektrik Transfusion Magazine"I definitely look forward to hearing more from this band." - Outburn"destructive coldwave turmoil." - The Industrial Bible"The aggression live up to their name with their second CD from Tinman, Pure Liquid Ego. Hard, heavy and aggressive, this New York, industrial rock band has a cross-over sound that is headed in the right direction...With such a wonderfully relaxed sound and an incredible groove, the tone contrasts strongly with the previous songs, but I enjoyed it so much I was left smiling as the album ended." - Outburn

Additional Info Compilation appearances onAwake The Machines: On The Line (Out Of Line Records, 1997) Awake The Machines Volume Two (Out Of Line Records, 1999) Blackout (None Of The Above Records, 1998) Cybonetix 1999 (DSBP Records, 1999) Empire One (Tinman Records, 1998) Flatline Compilation (Flatline Records, 1998) Forever And Again: A Tribute To The Mission (mish@onelist.com, 2000)Sounds From The Asylum Two (Base Asylum, 2000)Defcon One: Industrial Dawn (Armalyte Industries, 2001)

Location New York City, New York - USA

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