Sacrifice - Volume Six ★★★☆☆
THRASH / DEATH METAL | FEBRUARY 2025 — INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | METAL-ARCHIVES FOR FANS OF: SLAYER, POSSESSED, BOLT THROWER
THRASH-O-METER
★★☆☆☆ SONGWRITING
★★★☆☆ THEMES
★★☆☆☆ LONGEVITY
★★★☆☆ PRODUCTION
★★★☆☆ THRASHABILITY
★★★☆☆ GOOD SH!T
One of Canada's oldest Thrash Metal bands strikes back after being away for a small eternity! Seems that my theme here is very young or very old bands! Kinda makes a statement about the state of Thrash Metal, eh?
I'll lead with something thats always poked me funny with the band: despite Thrash Metal on the surface there is a dominating stench of Death.
Sacrifice is taut, insistent and stern
This is very Slayeresque, sans the utterly licentious guitar antics. And on the tangent of further name dropping I'm also thinking few of my absolute favourites: Possessed and Bolt Thrower. Sounds sweet, eh? All of the above are known to walk their own paths and build on what they know. Unfortunately, this Canadian crew has blinders on and they're quite stuck in their own (comfortable) bubble.
The first third of Volume Six hits hard and wicked. Urbinati's vocals drill into you relentlessly as ever and and sh!t is properly high-strung. Its until 'Missile' hits you where you'll find some air to breathe as Rico is let loose with some honest to Lucifer guitar solo action.
'Underneath Millennia' and 'Your Hunger for War' take a step back with mid-tempo pulse, offering a momentary reprieve from the intensity. There are semblances of properly written songs here!
You're soon yanked back from the edge of what might've been, getting tangled on shorter tracks that establish the prevailing tone — disjointed and ultimately unfulfilling. A notable exception is a near seven-minute instrumental 'Black Hashish', which while intriguing in its own right, only serves to highlight the album’s lack of clear direction.
Only for the fans
The album’s lack of dynamic shifts with properly varied songs dulls its impacts, preventing even the sweetest of shreddings from reaching their full height. But then again, who expected them to do anything else here? Sacrifice has remained true to their vision for 40 years and you gotta appreciate the heck out of that — doesn't however change the fact that showcasing a singular approach drains much of the album's vitality. Songs blur together and the riffs are trapped as very little unfolds with a purpose.
Volume Six is nigh 40 minutes of tension without proper release, leaving you feeling more than slightly constipated. Could be one of those cases that you really have to dive deep to get — but then we might as well talk plainly about what it is: an acquired taste.