I recall my first encounter with this brutal band, it was in the Deptford Mall, NJ in a store the Listening Booth when searching through countless tapes I discovered this band, the album looked so-so, but the track names caught my attention. It didn’t take long for me to enjoy the album, it helped me breach the gap of thrash to death, and within a few years I killed the cassette due to excessive play.
Just a group of metal teenagers founded their band in Toronto but were regarded as one of the four major thrash bands from Canada in 1983. They released three demos before unleashing unholy thrash hell with Torment in Fire (1986) – yeah 40-years ago hatched from their third demo ‘The Exorcism.’ For those unaware of thrash metal history, that year of 1986 launched many other important bands’ releases, such as Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Kreator, Nuclear Assault, and Destruction just to name a few.
This album was heavily inspired by Slayer, from the insane drumming to hellish vocals, and slayer riffs that took cues from Megadeth and Metallica, that listening to the album makes one think they are listening to finest moments these three bands at once. It is a true onslaught of thrash, intense aggression, and some of their style just pre-dates Death’s Scream Bloody Gore, simply it is raw production and basic songwriting, just let the music the volumes.
The first song is an intro atmospheric spooky song entitled “The Awakening” nothing really outstanding about it except undeniable reference to The Evil Dead [1981] horror movie. Nevertheless, the aggression starts with “Sacrifice” truly fast paced which sets the tone for the remaining 10-tracks of the album, right-off you will hear Slayer’s inspiration. The third song “Turn in Your Grave” (one of my favorites) thoroughly thrash driven and taking influence of British heavy metal, drummer Gus Pynn delivers the goods as spiritual tormenting battle reigns for control in the lyrics and projected outward with the music.
The “Homicidal Breath” is just a basic simplistic thrash-goregrind style and contains explicit references to brutal violence and gore. However, the album wastes little time smashing into “Warrior of Death” a speedy aggressive song that moves quickly into “Infernal Visions” thoroughly insanely created and recorded chaos, which describes demonic and devilish visions of nightmarish horrors which hints death metal linger with Slayer’s Hell Awaits praise.
One of their better songs, and favorite of mine is “Burned at the Stake” which tells of the tale of worshipper of Satanic arts burned to death and shall vow to take their vengeance from abyss, upon those who murdered them, and sought their own religious freedom (controlling others’ beliefs). The song always reminds of the horror film The City of the Dead [1960], but it easily shows a more balanced and technical approach, building the composition and riffs, to expand past extreme speed metal and standout track. Then a switch back to blistered fast metal with hints of death tossed in for good measured attack, it’s “Necronomicon” for a song influence of H.P. Lovecraft’s work of the same name that is feature in a vast number of flicks, often about the occult rituals and demon possessions. The song for about a minute and fifteen seconds starts to show the band members learn song structure. Drummer Pynn gets to show-off once more with rapid fire drumming style for the instrumental track “The Exorcism” tallied in almost three minutes but feels like Venom and Kreator had a bastardized son for this madness where demons would find enjoyable content. As for tenth track, “Possession” the third fastest song on the album clocking just under the two-minute mark, has the clear point of being controlled by demons to have the willing desire to kill with a knife. Ron Urbinati’s vocals are as if he was battling demons for his performance as the insanity swings wildly. This song is often noted for the trilogy of the final three songs, as with the anger grows exponentially. “Decapitation” very much death-metal generated a hint of band Possessed can be found herein, with harsh hardcore vocal delivery that incorporates a bizarre hellish chant. “Beyond Death” is the longest and final song, it lyrically combines the messaging of all other tracks with the death, violence, occult references. Mainly reinforces the apocalyptic doom and destruction for those caught in hopeless wallow of their own fate and cast in darkness. Pynn’s drumming comes in once again at 3:07 sounding more like the galloping four horsemen (Conquest, War, Famine and Death) unleashed to take the damned. The music is epic as the style contains tempo and itch changes, showing complexity rather than merely blasting metal, the riffs homage to Slayer.
Track Listing:
The Awakening
Sacrifice
Turn in Your Grave
Homicidal Breath
Warrior of Death
Infernal Visions
Burned at the Stake
Necronomicon
The Exorcism
Possession
Decapitation
Beyond Death
Band Members:
Rob Urbinati – Vocals (lead), Guitars
Joe Rico – Guitars
Scott Watts – Bass, Vocals (backing)
Gus Pynn – Drums
The band’s thrash style was incredibly unique, they opted for the violence and chaotic playing, with a great many nods to their heroes such as Slayer, Kreator, and Venom. The relentless blister speed is still able to return one to the 80s and rekindle memories of old school metalheads. As for the production, well they are lacking it is a pure raw explosion of metal with vocals eerily demonic as if some brief snippets had black metal direction, after all Bathory’s self-titled album is often cited as the first of the subgenre in 1984 two years before Sacrifice’s release. The band would march onward to 1993 before a hiatus lasting until 2006. This album gives a glimpse back to brutalization of thrash-death subgenre and won’t disappoint, if you are willing to overlook poorer values of production from passionate teenagers of then, however be prepared play it loud or don’t play it at all.
Baron’s Rating: 4.0/5.0
Band’s Links:
https://sacrificecanada.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/sacrificecanada
https://instagram.com/sacrificecanada