...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

As it turns out, 1990 has been quite possibly the strongest year in the history of Canadian thrash metal. Not only did Razor's punishing and furious Shotgun Justice come out that year, but fellow countrymen, Sacrifice's greatest release, Soldiers of Misfortune also saw the light of day. The two albums don't have anything in common, besides two things. They are both thrash metal and are among the greatest of their kind in the given period. While Razor chose extreme musical anger and violence, Sacrifice walked the path of refinement, sophistication, and precision.

The band decided to go even further into calculated aggression after Sacrifice's real self came to life on the predecessor Forward to Termination. It's not to say that the band was immature on the previous release, because that was an excellent effort. However, this is even better, where the band's career peaked once and for all. The band manages to release massive amounts of frustration and anger, but in such a way that it almost sounds like it's all part of a very intellectually driven, well-articulated 8-page essay in the form of thrash metal. Whether or not this might be thanks to Rob Urbinati's frantic, angry yet very intelligible vocals, or Gus Pynn's metrically flawless percussion that never skips or adds a beat throughout the whole record, this is pretty much as good as this subcategory of thrash metal will get.

Choosing highlights becomes a daunting task when looking at a masterpiece like this. Every song here is worthy of the highest praise, but let's look at the starter "As The World Burns", which takes off at a rather fast tempo, over a simple yet intriguing main riff. The clever two-guitar arrangements are very stylish and effective, and so is the beautiful, coherent guitar solo after the song slows down. Perhaps the song that's the most unlike the rest of the album is "In Defiance", but it's probably also the strongest. This is Sacrifice being a brutality-oriented thrash band for the length of a song, but it only sounds brutal when you compare it to the rest of this same release. It is unbelievably strong with its pummeling double-pedal madness and its simplistic, but all the more catchy riffs. You also have the more than 10-minute-long closer, "Truth (After The Rain)", which is very complex and well beyond most thrash bands, when you look at it from a coherence and technicality point of view. It even closes with a mellow, melodic instrumental section towards the end, that's one of the best closings I've heard to a thrash album. After this record, why not? They demonstrated how coherent and intelligent thrash can be better than nearly anyone this year, so why not cool the jets a little?

It is always thought-provoking to hear these albums from 25, 30, and 35 years ago that sound way better than how nearly anything sounds today. It doesn't make any sense technology-wise, but this is one of those albums. It is crystal clear, as clear as anything in 1990, and it's flawlessly balanced. One interesting element is the snare, which is way rawer and punchier than one that a record like this would typically utilize, but it works very well with the thick and muscular guitar tone. Behind all of this is the bass, which is clean and smooth, matching the whole picture and identity of the record (and the band, by this time).

Few people on Earth love brutality-focused thrash metal like Demolition Hammer, Morbid Saint, Dark Angel, Sadus, Razor, or Gammacide more than I do. Despite that, there is a time and place for Sacrifice's Soldiers of Misfortune among my favorite thrash albums. This is truly a "thinking man's thrash album", with very well-articulated vocal delivery, polished and complex songwriting, and perfect production.

VictimOfScience


By the early nineties, most of the thrash metal bands that had been around for a decade were altering their sound to varying degrees. In many cases, this change meant slowing down significantly or dumbing down the music. Sacrifice, however, managed to refine its sound considerably while avoiding the pitfalls that usually come with such progress. After two enjoyable, but somewhat monotonous thrash metal records in the eighties, 'Soldiers Of Misfortune' adds more depth to the Canadians' sound. It isn't exactly progressive thrash metal, but paying more attention to dynamic possibilities within the boundaries of their sound meant a strong improvement.

Essentially, 'Soldiers Of Misfortune' is characterized by the same elements as Sacrifice's earlier work. The guitar riffs of Joe Rico and Rob Urbinati are razor sharp, the latter's venom-spitting vocal delivery - think Tom Angelripper with hints of Darren Travis - helps set the band apart from the pack and Gus Pynn is one of the most unjustly overlooked drummers in thrash metal. The tweaks Sacrifice made to their sound may seem minor at first, but they turn out to be very relevant. Most importantly: the tempo changes. Sacrifice songs used to speed by viciously, but the impact of separate sections has been increased here by shifting tempos strategically.

That doesn't mean that Sacrifice has been watered down to a mid-tempo groove metal band, however. 'Soldiers Of Misfortune' is far from a 'Black Album'-ish snoozefest. In fact, the most prominent midtempo track ('Soldiers Of Misfortune' itself) makes brilliant use of subtle shifts in tempo and time feel. It may be remembered for its massive doomy intro, but the brooding feel of the first faster riff is equally impressive. 'Lost Through Time' is another track that proves an evil atmosphere can be reached even at mid-tempo. The song makes excellent use of space.

Sacrifice still proves to be excellent at uptempo thrash here. 'In Defiance' was destined to become a live classic, as the riffs are highly memorable and the song is a shot of energy. 'A Storm In The Silence' excels at violent thrash polkas after a relatively atmospheric intro, while opener 'As The World Burns' perfectly bridges the full-speed rabid menace of the past with a somewhat more refined approach. Closer 'Truth (After The Rain)' is the band's most ambitious track to date. They took some progressive hints from Rush (the influence of 'Xanadu' on the intro is fairly obvious) and ran with that in what is ultimately a dark thrasher with lots of cool, vaguely Arabic-sounding riffs.

If 'Soldiers Of Misfortune' is proof of anything, it would be that maturing is not something to automatically run away from if you are in a thrash metal band. Sure, lots of bands ruined their sound with it, but Sacrifice is one of those cases where a little more refinement has truly enhanced their sound without sounding alien to anyone who liked their sound before. In addition, the guitar solos and overall songwriting have become significantly more memorable in the process. It is truly a pity that the band was done for by the mid-nineties, but they reformed recently and are still playing live. They have yet to release something as brilliant as 'Soldiers Of Misfortune', but never say never.

Agonymph



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. As The World Burns 4:35
2. Soldiers Of Misfortune 5:37
3. In Defiance 4:10
4. Existence Within Eternity 4:00
5. Pawn Of Prophecy 3:24
6. Lost Through Time 4:06
7. A Storm In The Silence 4:08
8. Truth (After The Rain) 10:20



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals, Guitar - Rob Urbinati
Bass - Scott Watts
Drums - Gus Pynn
Guitar - Joe Rico



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeHyG8O9cD8



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