CHRISTIAN SLAYER!!!!!!
AngryByrd (Note: this is a review of Living Sacrifice's debut album!)Living Sacrifice first came onto scene in 1991 with a self titled album. The album was a very heavy thrash metal album that, despite being quite great, recieved very little attention. At the time, bands like Metallica, Megadeth, And Slayer were dominating the the thrash metal field, and due to Living Sacrifice being on a small label, it was very unlikely that somebody would pick up (or even find) this album at their local store. The few lucky people who did happen to find it ended up with a great source of money if they needed it. Since R. E. X. Records went out of business after Living Sacrifice's third album, a copy in its original packaging can sell for a pretty handsome amount of money. But is the album worth it?
When this album was first released, it was compared a lot to Slayer. Let's face it, that's the band I'm going to be comparing this album to. The comparison is actually quite appropriate, because that's essentially what this album is. It's a Christian version of Slayer. Oddly though, I actually like this album better than I like most of Slayer's stuff. I know this may not make sense right now, but it will once I explain everything.
For anybody who may be worried, let me assure you, everything you'd expect from Slayer is here. The low tuned guitars, the speed, and the shouted vocals are all in full force. Some people may not like DJ's screams, but I think they're alright. I actually like his vocals on this album better than Tom Araya's. For those of you who are worried about the lyrics being all "I love Jesus," there's nothing to worry about. There isn't any cussing or intense gore in the lyrics, but they're still pretty cool. If you like Slayer's music, you'll most likely enjoy this album.
So what do I think is better than Slayer about this album? Along with the vocals, there are two other things: the drums and the more varied songwriting. Lance Garvin is an amazing drummer. He does pull off a lot of the snare-heavy beats on some songs, but he mostly revolves around more fluid drumming. His double bass is still amazing though, and while it's a little slower than Slayer overall, I think the drums are awesome. As far as variation, the album strikes a nice balance between speed and atmosphere. The best example of this is in the song Internal Unrest. The song is insanely fast and heavy, but it still makes room for a soft bridge with really cool guitars. There are plenty of changes in speed too, so every song is pretty interesting. My only complaints with this album are that there aren't any key changes and that it does drag a little bit near the end, but these are minor complaints.
My favorite song from this album is a toss up between Second Death/Obstruction and Internal Unrest. These songs both have very addictive riffs and are extremely memorable. My least favorite song from this album is The Prodigal. It's not that interesting of a song, and it's pretty easily forgotten.
Living Sacrifice really started to move away from Thrash Metal and more toward Death Metal after this album, and eventually toward a sound more reminiscent of Fear Factory. This CD though is proof that Living Sacrifice were very capable of making evil sounding, dark thrash metal with a great message. I would highly recommend this album to any fan of Slayer, or thrash metal at all. As I said earlier, a copy is pretty expensive now, but if you can find one with a fair price, I would definitely recommend buying it. Living Sacrifice debut album gets an 8/10. It's a very underrated and beautiful thrash album that is definitely worth a listen.
Comments
Sounds good - bobbythebrony
They're great! - visitor