Sacrifice : "Volume Six"

 

This Canadian thrash band has been around since the 80s but never caught on like Voivod. They picked a decent time to stage a comeback with their 6th album, as it sounds like Power Trip could have been into these guys. However, I would have to dig back into their catalog and see if they have not leaned into this and had the producer bring out the elements of their sound that point them in this direction. Ok, I just listened to their 1986 album "Torment In Fire" and it seems the latter theory might hold more weight as it sounded more like a cross between Rigor Mortis and Exodus. Just because I do not cover a ton of thrash does not mean that I do not like it. In fact that was all I listened to in 1987, along with the odd hair metal band that was heavier than the rest like WASP. Though I was also into the hard-core bands that crossed over into metal, like Suicidal and the Cro-mags, which is something that can also be heard hear this is not unlike a lot of modern hardcore. 

"Underneath Millennia "feels like they are onto something as it's darker and has more groove. There is also more melody in the guitars while the vocals stay about the same, "Your Hunger For War" is more Testament-like in the way it gallops. It works really well and their breakneck attack is endearing. This album is really well produced and if this had come out in 1986, this would be an entirely different conversation. Thrash always had great apocalyptic themes which are even more timely now, making a song like "Incoming Mass Extinction" more appealing. There is a taunt gallop to "Explode" that reminds me of Nuclear Assault.  "Black Hashish" is a wandering instrumental, that is dynamic with melodic guitar passages that prove they are capable of more than just coming at you head first. The riffs are hooky, and keep you engaged. 

"We Will Not Survive" finds them giving in to the need for speed, as they go for the throat. What they do not do that Nuclear Assault did was give you half-time mosh grooves. They do lock into solid gallops that you can headbang to. There is a more hard-core energy to the last song. Overall this album was a lot better than I expected and took me back to the mid 80s I will give this one a 9 and see how it grows on me. 

pst8