Thrash fans, get ready: the debut album by Living Sacrifice smokes! Being on R.E.X., I expected Believer or Sacrament clones, but clones they are not. They have borrowed elements of these bands, Lance Garvin's drumming reminds me of Sacrament, while D.J.'s vocals remind me of Believer; but overall, for a thrash band, they do have their own sound (if that's possible in thrash). Musically this CD really shreds. Songs like "Dealing With Ignorance" and "Phargx Imas" are good examples. Lots of time changes ranging from speeds of 20 mph to 80 mph. The band definitely has had lots of practice. Lyrically, this band shows a lot of maturity. Typical of thrash, the lyrics are more on the "turn or burn" side, but they are so complex in many of the songs that it doesn't really matter. On the down side of things, honestly, the slower songs, like "Internal Unrest" and "Obstruction" are better than the fast cuts. As far as the production (which is first class), during the really fast songs, like "Walls Of Separation", I really wish that the rhythm guitar could have been a lot clearer. The lyrics, as good as they are, should be read completely through first, before listening to the disc, because it's just too hard to read and understand most of them while trying to mosh at the same time. Great debut. As far as I'm concerned, you've already jumped in the Deliverance/Believer league of thrash. Keep up the great work guys!
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Josh SpencerI still remember when I first heard this album back in 1991, and how wide my eyes got as the first sick wall of dirty distortion blasted into my ears. To this day, no other Christian metal album has captured pounding pure heavy thrash like Living Sacrifice's debut. Younger fans who only know Reborn will either recoil from this or embrace it as a classic from the era of aggression they never knew.…Similar sounding releases
1996UltimatumSymphonic Extremities
1990SacramentTestimony of Apocalypse
1988Vengeance RisingHuman Sacrifice
1994Six Feet DeepStruggle
1995StrongarmAtonement
1990Bloody CrossComing AgainMore from Living Sacrifice
2002Conceived In Fire
1992Nonexistent
1993Metamorphosis
1994Inhabit
1990No Yielding to Ungodly
2005In Memoriam
