SACRILEGE — Behind the Realms of Madness (review)

SACRILEGE — Behind the Realms of Madness album cover Album · 1985 · Thrash Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
Unitron
"Like the shadow from Mordor, creeping slowly forward."

Easily one of the most underrated bands of all time, the masters of both thrash and doom, Sacrilege unleashed their thrashing fury onto the scene with their debut album here in 1985. While the band went silent after breaking up in 1990, they returned in 2014 and remastered their classic debut and released their first new song since '89. Now let's stop talking history, and get into these overlooked classics of thrash.

You want hooks? This album's got 'em, and they won't release you from their grasp until the album's finished. This is thrash metal blended with classic punk and traditional metal. So expect some Sabbath-esque riffs and Samhain on steroids. Every riff pounds you to the ground, while the solos are about as classic as you can get. Check out "Shadow from Mordor", "At Death's Door", and "The Closing Irony" for some of the best riffs you'll ever hear. "Shadow of Mordor" has an addicting groove that swings the listener around in the mosh pit, and a tasty solo as a little treat in between being bruised. "At Death's Door" hammers itself into your skull, with a massive groove and an absolutely crushing drum performance courtesy of Cerebral Fix's Andy Baker. "The Closing Irony" enters in with the metal staple of ominous bells, and takes you through a romp of catchy and skull crushing riffs that sound straight from Slayer's Haunting the Chapel, 70's string bends, and beautiful soloing.

Lynda "Tam" Simpson screams and barks throughout the whole album, and her vocals scream pure raging fury. Whether it be a speeding bullet like "A Violation of Something Sacred" or a groovy stomp like "Shadow of Mordor", it always works. The production is raw and rough, and it has just the right amount of punch like Haunting the Chapel.

With Sacrilege, there is no bad album, and each album is unique. If you just want some raw early thrash to open up a pit, crank this classic up and crank it loud! Hope you found this review helpful, feel free to comment!
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