Sacrificium: Oblivion | How to Sound Modern Without Losing Brutality
(2023 – Nordic Mission)
Sacrificium is a band that doesn’t release music very often. In fact, in almost a quarter of a century, they have only released a little over four albums, each one more powerful than the last, but overall their discography is rather sparse. The good news is that in 2023 they decided to release a new album, proving that the band exists, lives, and endures, and that despite my skepticism, they have not fallen victim to the new times in metal.
It’s true, “Oblivion” was released in 2023, but the reality is that it’s only now reaching our hands, and since it’s their latest release, we think it’s well worth reviewing this very interesting album.
With just 10 tracks, Sacrificium tries to maintain a balance between their old-school Death Metal and a slightly more modern sound, but without sacrificing the speed, harshness, and rottenness made into music for which we know them. Right from the start with “Annihilated,” the band makes this clear, and with “Martiryum,” the blast beat makes itself felt and I would even say that it borders on the sound of Black Metal. No, it’s not Black Metal, but it’s close. The double guitar orchestration and chord riffs accompany each track on the album, adding some melody to a truly brutal sound. The influence of classical music chords and notes is undeniable, but beware, we’re not talking about a symphonic band, nor is Sacrificium’s intention to swim in those waters, quite the contrary. Sacrificium’s definition is Death Metal, with its own imprint.
Perhaps the intention to sound more modern, with something that accompanies the word “core,” can be found in “From Above” and “Decadence Reigns” or even in “Born Guilty,” with a slight Hardcore influence, but with a much more orchestral guitar accompaniment than in any piece of that genre.
Amidst all this decay, “Where All Prayers Fall” is an instrumental with an interesting string arrangement. Next, “Eye For An Eye” offers us another brutal demonstration of power (including part of a speech by Charles Chaplin in the 1941 film “The Great Dictator”), as does “Cohorts Of Oblivion,” the title track of the album and one of the best songs on this work. Its constant changes in rhythm, with the guitar riffs, are truly a great find within what can be found on “Oblivion.”
Finally, “Death From Within” takes the level even higher, in a song with an interesting riff and a sound that is both bouncy and melodic, using different types of notes on each instrument and with a truly killer guitar solo. Another high point of the album. For “Written In My Scars,” the last track, Sacrificium saves all the weapons used throughout Oblivion.
The conclusion is that Sacrificium’s latest album is perhaps not the best album, but in our opinion, it is one of the best produced, although it has its virtues to really consider it as such. Behind what we hear on “Oblivion” is a lot of work and a clear concept of where the band wants to go. In this work, Sacrificium knew how to bring a more modern sound than in their previous productions, without giving up their essence. Of course, it’s a matter of taste, but one thing is for sure: this album has its virtues.
Sacrificium maintains a classic lineup of vocals, two guitars, bass, and drums. As we said, the guitar work is truly excellent, and the duo of Wolfgang Nillies and Fred Berger clearly know how to understand each other. Another highlight is the personal guttural voice of Claudio Enzler, who never resorts to clean vocals and even gives his own personal touch to each Sacrificium song. Although there are effects programmed in the studio, it is clear that the idea is to create a classic metal album, without too many artificial additions. The production, recording, and studio engineering were handled by Wolfgang Nillies, the band’s guitarist, and the mixing was done by Jani Stefanovic, someone who knows his stuff and has managed to give this album a great sound.
As for the lyrics, we really liked their lyrical aspect. Spiritual and social issues are the topics the band addresses in “Oblivion”. They are very tasteful, as is everything Sacrificium has to offer musically.
In terms of the artwork, the cover is in keeping with the band’s style, without being too surprising, and the inner sleeve features a design that blends in with the album cover, with different ancient sculptures illustrating the lyrics of the songs. There is also a quote from Charles Chaplin as a message. The only photograph of the band is on the back cover. All in a classic edition. The only thing missing is a vinyl version, but for now, we applaud Sacrificium for continuing to support the physical format.
This album is available through Nordic Mission label, whose website is https://www.nordicmission.net
We also leave you with Sacrificium’s social media details as well as the lyric video for “Eye For An Eye” so you can judge for yourselves….
https://www.facebook.com/SacrificiumOfficial/?locale=es_LA
