Review Summary: Blasphemy at its finest
Generally speaking, modern death death metal is a disappointment. Most bands are taking the route of ultra-clean production, sampled drum sounds, and a ***ty copycat guitar tone / "riffing style". You can forget about all of that when you listen to Antichrist. From the opening sample of what sounds like multiple horror movies mashed together (but most notably the Exorcist), you’re in for quite a ride.
Sacrament of Blood is blasphemy at its finest. The production is loud, raw and cacophonous; the grinding tremolo-picked guitar riffs sound a lot like high-powered chainsaws working their way through human bone and the drums sound equally menacing, as if they are fighting for position at the front of the mix. Tasteful fills can be heard on tracks like ‘Chopped and Chewed’ and ‘Bestial Sacrifice’. Every track here is pushing forward at all times. There’s a natural momentum within this album which is hard to explain. Aside from the samples (‘Sacrament of Blood’, ‘Bestial Sacrifice’ , ‘His Majesty Commands’) which open a few tracks, you’re in for twenty-four minutes of demon beasts picking you limb from limb with fast paced (but not technical) riffing. They will also season your dismembered body with a handful of tasty grooves and spices.
The vocalist for Antichrist is an animal. Or a demon man sent from hell. I haven’t decided yet. Either way, after you listen to ‘Unholy Devourment’ and ‘Severed Goat’s Head’, it might be hard not to compare these vocals to a certain Worm. He growls, belches, screams and devours everything in his path. Overall, appreciating the vocal performance on this album is certainly one of the keys to unlocking the true experience which is Sacrament of Blood. It’s also nice that we get to hear the bass guitar at times (admittedly, not often enough, but those guitars are just SO LOUD) because it really does sound great as well.
Antichrist has put together one of the top 3 death metal releases of 2011 with Sacrament of Blood. Those who consider themselves a fan of the genre should give it a spin, especially if you enjoy a raw and non-polished style of production on your death metal.
