Review Summary: If this isn’t cooking then I don’t know what is.
The genre of thrash metal is an extremely rewarding style of music that goes well with high energy moments such as working out, chilling with friends, drinking[unless you’re a depressive drinker], and extreme sports. There are even rare cases where individuals like myself, enjoy thrash while going to sleep in bed. Whatever the enjoyment is you may have for it no one can really deny its effect on getting you pumped. We have tons of thrash bands to choose from since it’s been around for over 20 years. Many artists have attempted to hit the ranks of notable thrash acts Kreator, Death Angel, Solstice, and Destruction. And fortunately for us, many have and should be as well known as the aforementioned bands.
Sacrifice is one such band and due to lack of proper marketing or the sole desire of wanting to remain underground Sacrifice has been sadly overlooked.
Sacrifice is an amazing, solid, Canadian thrash band; and one of the most well known pioneers of the old school thrash scene. They’ve released 5 LP’s since their beginning as a band in 1984. Their second LP “Forward to Termination” is often looked at as their finest moment, showcasing their amazing song writing capabilities and passion for showing what thrash music is really capable of. Their riffs are both complex and fast but they also gear more towards the simple-heavy side from time to time. I like to think of them as having characteristics that blend Kreator’s, Destruction’s, and Metallica’s early styles. Many of the tracks here are very solid but sometimes any given particular song doesn’t always reach above the others. Take for instance track “Forever Enslaved”, it’s full of ripping riffs and killer drum sections but it’s still on a level playing field as its previous track “The Entity”. This isn’t a huge drawback since the whole album is solid but it does prevent me from viewing this as a classic no matter how praised Sacrifice may be.
It’s interesting to notice that the second half of “Forward to Termination” is much stronger than the first. Most of the tracks tend to pick up intensity, speed, and creativity like “Cyanide” and “Light of the End” that feature some of the tastiest tremolos and solos the album has to offer. The drums work of Craig Boyle really brings the flavor of the album to life, one that is rich in dynamic thrusts and pendulous in creativity, usually just going for what apparently feels best and nailing it every time. The dueling guitar work of Rob Urbinati and Joe Rico are extremely tight and you can feel the push that each of them give as songs progress. The vocal deliveries of Urbinati showcase varied screams and shouts, very similar to Kreator’s and Destruction’s styles. They fit the music very well and never detract from the songs, they actually push the tempos forward as most of the times the lyrics are executed just as fast as the riffs and drums are.
The album is a good length. Since most songs don’t tend to make the others look lesser or greater, except for the fact that the second half is stronger, you won’t tend to want to be shuffling all over the album looking for your favorite moments or tracks. Out of the 9 tracks we have about an average track time of 3-4 minutes so it’s not over exhausting because music is not progressive in any sense.
“Forward to Termination” brings to life what
Sacrifice was capable of as well as holding the mark for their greatest achievement. Their later albums are solid as well but you won’t production like the kind found on here; being that of an old school almost crusty vibe and sound levels perfectly intermingling amongst each other. I highly suggest that you pick this up and give it a try, it may not be the best thrash music ever made but it sure holds its ground against the greatest albums the genre has to offer.
