### Sacrifist: The well of sacrifice

#### 11/05/05 || Lord K Philipson

Sacrifist loves the Swedish scene in general and older In Flames in particular.

I’m all fine with that since I really dig what In Flames used to create before morphing into what they are today. Charl of Sacrifist was so nice as to send me this album some month or 5 ago, but due to my extremely busy schedule (watching porn on the net takes a hella lot of time you know) I haven’t gotten around to review this piece until today. Yes, I listened to it before but never had the fucken strength to dive into it completely you know (also known as being busy watching porn on the net).

I can’t say that I expected shitloads from this album, after all – South Africa isn’t exactly known for its massive production of excellent metal-bands, right? Well, Sacrifist surprised me, not only with having a fuck-shit moniker for the band, but with being good and obviously quite talented. It’s nice to get albums where you can actually hear the bass, Sacrifist made sure of that though the actual sound of it isn’t much to rave about it. But it’s hearable and that’s more than I can say about 90% of today’s metal-albums, so that’s a point for ya already.

While I can spot alot of the mentioned early In Flames in the music of Sacrifist, they do blend in alot of other things that more or less work, though I wouldn’t really claim it to be outstanding in any shape, way or form. It’s pretty solid metal of the happier kind when it all comes about. Guitar-solos get a great deal of room in the music, and I couldn’t care much less about those, no matter how well they are performed. Guitar-solos are mostly boring and they are just added to the music to please the axe-men’s egos. But these guys know how to play their shit, no doubt about that, I just don’t give a fuck basically.

What Sacrifist is doing is nothing spectacular, but it’s solid metal that anyone could get into and like/forget about. I think they should try to get a bit more of an identity of their own though instead of being lumped together with bands from the past (I’m sure I’m not the first one telling them they sound alot like early In Flames in alot of places). Some more time spent on the riffing (every riff you play should be able to stand on it’s own, Like the riff at 0:40 in “Playing with fire”, without anything backing it up, that’s not the case with everything on here) and the actual composing wouldn’t hurt. Drop 50 percent of the fucken solos and concentrate on creating killer-songs instead. This way will make you guys more interesting for everyone.

But make no mistake, Sacrifist ain’t breaking new ground whatsoever but they do their shit all fine.

6 flames out of 10.

- Information
- Released: 2004
- Label: Self-released
- Website: Not found
- Band
- Charl: vocals
- Sammy: rhythm guitars
- Byron: lead guitars
- Shaun: bass
- Michael: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Beyond time I stand
- 02. Cadence
- 03. Unforgiven insanity
- 04. 13th
- 05. Dark angel
- 06. One day
- 07. Playing with fire
- 08. Odin
- 09. The well of sacrifice
- 10. Troubled minds