UMUR "Sacramental Carnage" is the second demo recording by Dutch death metal act Sinister. The demo was independently recorded and released in April 1991. It´s the successor to the March 1990 "Perpetual Damnation" demo and it was recorded by the same quartet lineup who recorded the first demo. While the original cassette tape version of the demo is a hard find, the material from the demo has since been included on various compilations and box sets, so it´s relatively easy to find today.

The demo features seven tracks and a total playing time of 27:17 minutes, but only three are new tracks as the four tracks closing the demo are re-recordings of the four tracks from the "Perpetual Damnation" demo. Six of the seven tracks would make it unto Sinister´s debut full-length studio album "Cross the Styx" (January 1992, Nuclear Blast Records), while the left out track "Lacivious Desolation" would resurface and be included on Sinister´s sixth full-length studio album "Savage or Grace" (May 2003, Nuclear Blast Records).

Sinister play a relatively brutal type of old school death metal, influenced greatly by contemporary US artists like Deicide and Cannibal Corpse. The musicianship are on a high level on all posts and the growling vocals are brutal and convincing. While the demo features a relatively raw recording quality, it is overall a well sounding recording, which which could easily have passed for a "regular" studio recording.

There´s a level of professionalism here that you won´t get on many late 80s/early 90s death metal demo releases, and "Sacramental Carnage" is through and through a quality release by Sinister, and it´s no wonder that Nuclear Blast Records signed the band upon listening to this demo. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Perpetual Damnation" is the first demo recording by Dutch death metal act Sinister. The demo was independently released in March 1990. "Perpetual Damnation" features four tracks and a total playing time of 16:56 minutes. All four tracks would be re-recorded and included on Sinister´s debut full-length studio album "Cross the Styx" (January 1992, Nuclear Blast Records).

Considering that this is an early 1990 death metal demo, it´s surprisingly brutal, dark, and not particularly thrashy, although the music of course features some elements of brutal thrash as it´s a part of most old school death metal releases. Sinister already this early on had found a core sound, and they executed it well.

"Perpetual Damnation" doesn´t feature a professional studio sound production, but it´s still a well produced demo recording, and you can hear most details in the music. It´s both powerful and brutal sounding too, perfectly suiting the brutality of the material. For at first demo release Sinister have done very well and it´s no wonder they got signed relatively fast (although one more demo had to be recorded). A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Gods of the Abyss" is an EP release by Dutch death metal act Sinister. The EP was released through vic Records in June 2017. The EP bridges the gap between the band´s 13th and 14th full-length studio albums "Syncretism (2017)" and "Deformation of the Holy Realm (2020)". The four tracks on "Gods of the Abyss" were however already recorded in 2004-2005. When Sinister split-up in 2003 drummer Aad Kloosterwaard and guitarist/bassist Alex Paul formed No Face Slave to continue playing death metal, but the new material they wrote for the project sounded so much like their old band, that they opted to ressurrect Sinister and continue that band instead. They added drummer Paul Beltman to the lineup and Kloosterwaard switched from drums to vocals. The new trio lineup recorded the four tracks on this release for a 2005 demo which resulted in Nuclear Blast Records signing Sinister for the release of their comeback album "Afterburner (2006)".

All four tracks from the demo/EP appear in re-recorded versions on "Afterburner (2006)". In fact it´s the four opening tracks (in a slightly different order) on the album. As the versions on "Afterburner (2006)" are better produced and therefore quite a bit more hard hitting and interesting (Kloosterwaard has also honed his skills as a growler on the album versions of the songs), "Gods of the Abyss" is a little unnecessary. There´s nothing wrong with the quality of the material and the EP features a well sounding production considering that it in its original form was a demo, but the demo versions just don´t add anything new to the picture, if you´ve already listened to "Afterburner (2006)" (which by the way I can highly recommend that you do...). Even the samples on "The Grey Massacre" and "Men Down" are the same. So upon conclusion "Gods of the Abyss" is a hardcore fan item, but a good quality one, and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "The Post-Apocalyptic Servant" is the 11th full-length studio album by Dutch death metal act Sinister. The album was released through Massacre Records in May 2014. It´s the successor to "The Carnage Ending" from 2012, and given the many lineup changes the band have gone through in the past, it´s almost surprising to see that "The Post-Apocalyptic Servant" features the same five-piece lineup who also recorded "The Carnage Ending (2012)".

Sinister has been the child of lead vocalist (formerly drummer) Aad Kloosterwaard for many years now though, and almost ever changing lineups haven´t changed that, or changed the sound and style of the band. There have been slight changes in style between every album (as there should be), but it´s details which separate most releases. Sinister have kept the old school death metal flag high throughout their career and on their by now many releases.

In that respect "The Post-Apocalyptic Servant" is no different from the last many albums by Sinister. The listener is treated to technically well played, brutal, and catchy old school death metal with both fast-paced and mid-paced heavy sections. It´s relentlessly brutal and energetic, but varied enough to not become a one-dimensional listen. Sinister are seasoned musicians and composers, who understand how to write and deliver an effectful and intense death metal tune.

"The Post-Apocalyptic Servant" features a powerful, brutal, and raw sounding production, which suits the material well. The bass drums are maybe slightly too "clicky" sounding, but it´s no major issue. Upon conclusion Sinister have managed to produce another high quality death metal release and a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "The Carnage Ending" is the 10th full-length studio album by Dutch death metal act Sinister. The album was released through Massacre Records in September 2012. It´s the successor to "Legacy of Ashes" from 2010 and features quite a few lineup changes since the predecessor as bassist Bas van den Bogaard has been replaced by Mathijs Brussaard, drummer Edwin van den Eeden has been replaced by Toep Duin, and guitarist Alex Paul has been replaced by no less than two guitarists in Bas Brussaard and Dennis Hartog. With only lead vocalist Aad Kloosterwaard remaining from the lineup who recorded the predecessor, Sinister are virtually a new band on "The Carnage Ending".

It´s not the first time in the band´s history that they´ve changed almost an entire lineup, but they´ve remained fairly true to their original sound throughtout the years, although they´ve successfully incorporated more brutal grooves since the old school death metal days, and have had some slightly progressive tendencies (at least structurally adventurous) on a couple of releases too. "Legacy of Ashes (2010)" generally featured a more conscise and sharp songwriting style with less emphasis on creative song structures, and that tendency is continued on "The Carnage Ending"...multible lineup changes or not.

"The Carnage Ending" features a brutal and technically well played death metal style with good rhythmic variation and effective use of brutal grooves. This definitely has an old school atmosphere and authenticity, but it´s not retro sounding. Sinister have managed to create a more timeless death metal sound. With a background as the band´s drummer Kloosterwaard has great understanding of vocal rhythms and it´s audible as he has a way of placing his words and vocal rhythm patterns to great effect. Some death metal vocalists either deliver one-dimensional toneless growling or forget to put phrasing on their words, but that´s certainly not the case here.

Although this is an almost completely new lineup playing, Sinister are a well playing unit, and the performances reek of skill and professionalism. Sure you won´t find anything particularly original here that you haven´t heard on other death metal releases, but Sinister are one of those rare death metal artists, who understand how to use known and beloved death metal elements and create an effectful and entertaining death metal pack of those elements and then add just enough of their own elements, for it to sound distinctly like them, without really bringing much new to the table. Now that´s an art too... A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.