{{Multiple issues|{{refimprove|date=November 2019}} {{Notability|music|date=February 2026}}}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}} {{Short description|American technical death metal band}} {{For|people referred to as oppressor|Oppression}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Oppressor | image = | caption = | alias = | origin = Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | genre = Death metal<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/artist/oppressor-mn0000474871</ref> | years_active = 1991–1999 | label = Red Light, Olympic (Century Media) | associated_acts = Soil | current_members = | past_members = Tim King<br/>Tom Schofield<br/>Jim Stopper<br />Adam Zadel }}
'''Oppressor''' is a death metal band<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Oppressor |url=https://www.hammerheart.com/artists/oppressor/ |access-date=2026-02-28 |website=Hammerheart Records}}</ref> from Chicago, Illinois,<ref name=":0" /> which formed in 1991<ref name=":0" /> and disbanded in 1999.{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}} They released three albums, "Elements of Corrosion", "Agony", and "Solstice of Oppression".<ref name=":0" /> Three of the band's members went on to form alternative metal band Soil.{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}
==History== Oppressor was started in May 1991 by Tim King and Adam Zadel.<ref name=":0" /> A month later,{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}} they found another guitarist, Jim Stopper, and a drummer, Tom Schofield.<ref name=":0" /> They recorded their first demo, ''World Abomination'', in 1991.{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}} A second demo, ''As Blood Flows'', recorded in 1993, got them a record deal with Red Light Records, who released their first full-length album, ''Solstice of Oppression'', in 1994.<ref name=":0" /> Shortly after the album's release, Red Light went bankrupt.<ref name=":0" /> In the meantime before finding another label, the band released a one-off live album/compilation album with Megalithic Records, entitled ''Oppression Live/As Blood Flows''.<ref name=":0" /> Megalithic, a Milwaukee, WI label, also went bankrupt after a few months of activity.{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}} They managed to score a record deal with Olympic Recordings and released ''Agony'' in 1996.<ref name=":0" />
In 1997, three-quarters of the band, bar Jim Stopper, started an alternative metal side project called Soil, with Broken Hope guitarist Shaun Glass and Ryan McCombs. In 1998, Oppressor released their final album, ''Elements of Corrosion''. When in 1999 Soil become more popular than Oppressor, the band decided to part ways.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Oppressor Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More {{!}}... |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/oppressor-mn0000474871 |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}</ref> 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 in February 2022.{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}
==Musical style== {{Original research section|date=February 2026}} Oppressor played death metal in a style that came to be known as technical death metal. They were influenced by bands like Morbid Angel, Death, Gorguts, and Suffocation. 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) * ''Agony'' (1996, Olympic) * ''Elements of Corrosion'' (1998, Olympic)
===Compilation albums=== * ''Oppression Live/As Blood Flows'' (1995, Megalithic) * ''The Solstice of Agony and Corrosion'' (2009, Mortal Music)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=5747 Oppressor at Encyclopedia Metallum] * [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p143256|pure_url=yes}} Oppressor at AllMusic]
{{Oppressor}}
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Category:American technical death metal musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1991 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1999 Category:Musical groups from Chicago Category:American musical quartets Category:1991 establishments in Illinois