Review Summary: Despite some overstuffing, Jatt is a solid sleaze metal effort once you feel out what it’s going for
With fifteen tracks spread over nearly seventy minutes, Sabïre’s first proper full-length has quite a lot to take in. Having this many songs all at once in the post-Napster age makes one wonder just how much of it amounts to filler, but the strategically placed interludes suggest Jätt is intended to feel like two EPs stacked together rather than a traditional album. Either way, six years since the release of the Gates Ajar EP sure indicates a sense of the band wanting to make up for lost time.
Things do kick off on an upbeat note once the ambiance of “The Doorway (Entry)” cycles through. “Pure ***ing Hell” is a supercharged number that could’ve come from the Midnight playbook with a little more grime applied, but “Ice Cold Lust” is where things really get going with catchy chugging verses and the most anthemic chorus on display. “I’m a Rock” and “Alone Again” (sorry, not a Dokken cover) follow in similar fashion while the speedy “Just a Touch of Acid” and “Call Me Bastard” mix some Motörhead in the gloss.
The back half lends more credence to the album’s split presentation, largely delving into slower songs with more restraint. “The Last Day” and “Chained Down” are brooding numbers ala “Sleeping In The Fire” while “Toxic Man” sees its lighthearted rock put to a measured pace. On the flip side, “The Shadow In My Heart” doesn’t quite pan out as a power ballad, feeling too restrained and taking too long to reach its climax. Fortunately it still ends well; as much as the scorching “Rip, Rip, KILL!!!” would’ve worked as a closer, “The Stairs (Exit)” is the best of the atmospheric tracks with its haunting comedown vibes.
A sleazy approach helps the band maintain a consistent flavor throughout with the early days of W.A.S.P. making for the most obvious comparison. The shrill howls and sex-crazed lyrics channel quite a bit of Blackie Lawless while the playing serves the songs through straightforward riffs and pounding rhythms. A production thoroughly lathered in reverb emphasizes those eighties metal associations even further, putting the guitars into a hazy overdrive and echoing the drums without getting too bombastic.
One can hope Sabïre’s next installment will be more compact but Jätt is a solid effort once you feel out what it’s going for. It undeniably would’ve benefitted from a more consolidated presentation, but the two halves approach combined with the focus on catchy songwriting. makes it easier to sort out. It doesn’t quite hit the same highs as the best from peers like Cauldron or Sonja, but they just might be doing W.A.S.P. than the real thing these days.
