UMUR "Elements of Anger" is the 4th full-length studio album by US, California based thrash metal act Sadus. The album was released through Mascot Records in September 1997. Sadus were without a label after their deal with Roadrunner Records ended, and released the "Red Demo" in 1994 to shop for a new label. It would be three long years in addition to the two that had already passed since the release of "A Vision of Misery (1992)" (the band´s third full-length studio album) before the band was signed to Mascot Records for the release of "Elements of Anger (1997)". There´s been one lineup change since the release of "A Vision of Misery (1992)", as guitarist Rob Moore has jumped ship, leaving Sadus a three-piece consisting of Darren Travis (guitar, vocals), Steve DiGiorgio (bass, keyboards), and Jon Allen (drums).

Stylistically "Elements of Anger" continues the slightly more mature and varied thrash metal style of "A Vision of Misery (1992)", and while Sadus have not completely forgotten their furiously fast-paced and aggressive past, they generally play a more heavy type of thrash metal, and the diversity of their music has also increased a lot since the early days of raging ferocity. Sadus include quite a few atmospheric parts on the album too, so "Elements of Anger" is overall a relatively varied release. When Sadus play the most atmospheric parts they sometimes remind me of Coroner on "Grin (1993)". There´s the same bleak atmosphere about the music on "Elements of Anger".

This is still Sadus though, and as always we´re treated to Darren Travis distinct sounding piercing screaming raw vocals and his impressive technical guitar playing, Steve DiGiorgio´s high in the mix busy bass playing, and Jon Allen powerful organic drumming. The musicianship is on a very high level, and there are several jaw-dropping moments of technical bliss on the album, but the technical playing is a means to an end, and not the primary focus of Sadus music.

"Elements of Anger" features a powerful, detailed, and raw sounding production, which suits the material perfectly. As mentioned above the bass is placed high in the mix, but that´s a Sadus trademark by now, and one of the things which make them stand out, so no surprises there. Upon conclusion "Elements of Anger" is another high quality release by Sadus, and yet another step forward in their development as composers and musicians. A few fans of the older material may miss the non stop aggression of the early releases, but to those listeners, who enjoy their thrash metal with a bit more variation and atmospheric moments, "Elements of Anger" is definitely a recommendable release. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.