SACRED STEEL - review added 15th October 2009
Album Review: Carnage Victory (2009)
For fans of: Heavy Metal... and thrashy nonsense
It's very difficult to say the following sentence without sounding unnecessarily offensive but, here goes... There really is some very silly music on this record.
I get the impression from the line-up description Sacred Steel don't take themselves too seriously but, even then, the end result is eye opening. Sacred Steel is, (are you ready for this?) Gerrit Philipp Mutz (Blasphemic Litanies And Siren Screams), Jens Sonnenberg (Violent Deathaxe And Shrieks Of Terror), Jonas Khalil (Apocalyptic Bloodaxe Inferno And Acoustic Shreds Of Agony), Kai Schindelar (Brutal Bulldozer Bass And Hellthunder) and Mathias Straub (Demonic Crossfire On Steel Coffins). I think you can just about work out who does what...
The band's first album, Reborn in Steel, came in 1997. Another 5 have since passed, making Carnage Victory lucky number 7. I haven't knowingly heard any of their other work. On the evidence of this it's up for debate whether I'd actually be able to without a smirk on my face. There is some good stuff on this album, don't get me wrong. But some of the musicianship is very cheesy. Some of the singing will burst your eardrums!
Opening track 'Charge Into Overkill' has great drumming but, man, the high pitched vocals are terrible. The deeper, more 'normal' parts are okay, but the forays into bat territory really are painful. It's more of the same on second track 'Don't Break The Oath'. It isn't quite so bad but still hurts. Gerrit Philipp Mutz sounds like a cross between Geoff Tate of Queensryche, Geddy Lee of Rush and a car alarm having a fight with a smoke detector. That isn't really a good thing.
The title track ain't 'alf bad and redeems matters slightly. It's a much more sensible song with some fanciful reverse effects that add a technical side to proceedings. 'Broken Rites' sounds good but has some very, er, interesting lyrics. The thrash charms of 'Crosses Stained With Blood' aren't to be underestimated. Even Gerrit sounds good on that one.
'Ceremonial Magician Of The Left Hand Path' is an interesting slower track with a stupendously heavy lead guitar riff. There's something about it - it's not brilliant - but it's very listenable to. 'The Skeleton Key' is distinctly average, although at least it isn't frightening. 'Shadows Of Reprisal' is a short instrumental leading into 'Denial Of Judas (Heaven Betrayed)', another merely okay song saved by some more fantastic drumming. The slow throbbing 'Metal Underground' is soon forgotten when final track 'By Vengeance And Hatred We Ride' gets going. It's a cracking effort and perhaps should have been used as the basis for the rest of the album.
Yeah, not a massive fan of this. It has its moments, but they are infrequent. It's not quite silly enough and not quite sensible enough. In the end, that lack of direction mixed with the distinctly 'unusual' vocals is just too much. Think of them like a heavier version of Spinal Tap, without the amusing film.
Check out... The drumming.
Track List:
1. Charge Into Overkill
2. Don't Break The Oath
3. Carnage Victory
4. Broken Rites
5. Crosses Stained With Blood
6. Ceremonial Magician Of The Left Hand Path
7. The Skeleton Key
8. Shadows Of Reprisal
9. Denial Of Judas (Heaven Betrayed)
10. Metal Underground
11. By Vengeance And Hatred We Ride
Label: Massacre Records
Artist's website(s): Sacred Steel , MySpace
