Sadism – Obscurans ReviewSadism – Obscurans Review - Your Online Magazine for Hard Rock and Heavy Metal

Death Metal

Hammerheart Records

Release Date – November 24th 2023

Line Up:

Ricardo Roberts – Vocals

Gabriel Hidalgo – Guitar

Juan Eduardo Moore – Bass

Juan Pablo Donoso – Drums

Tracklist:

1 – Exsanguination

2 – On Your Knees

3 – Diabolution

4 – Lower Astral Entities

5 – Because We Are Rotten To The Core

6 – Freewill Archangels

7 – Ars Goetia

8 – The Void Devourer

9 – Parousia

10 – Made Of Sulfur

11 – Nyctophile (CD Bonus Track)

12 – When The Christians Lie (CD Bonus Track)

Chilean death metal legends, Sadism, have been around since 1988, and amazingly, this is only their tenth album, although the band sees this as a definite milestone. They get straight to the point on the opener, ‘Exsanguination,’ and show exactly what Sadism is all about – old school death metal. Things get a bit doomy on the intro for ‘On Your Knees,’ but it soon kicks up on a chuggy riff and double kick rhythm before the absolute chaos of ‘Diabolution,’ which goes from rabid death/thrash to groove metal.

Don’t expect a stoner/psyche groove-out on ‘Lower Astral Entities’; it’s a full-on thrasher that does some serious damage before the huge chugfest of ‘Because We Are Rotten To The Core’ brings the fun and gets the head banging. ‘Freewill Archangels’ is a nasty piece of raging thrash/death, and then things get creepy and dark on ‘Ars Goetia’ before getting savage on ‘The Void Devourer,’ with that savagery continued on the pounding ‘Parousia.’

‘Made Of Sulfur’ begins with huge power chords before settling into a spidery riff and a double kick marathon. My copy has two bonus cuts – the chaotic, bruising ‘Nyctophile’ and equally bruising ‘When The Christians Lie.’

You would think that after 33 years of spleen-busting, ear-splitting metal, Sadism would slow down and become more ‘genteel.’ Not a chance! This is just as, or even more, brutal than their previous output. They absolutely revel in their pursuit of dark chords, simple brutal roots, and blasphemous lyrics. Definitely one of their best.

Written by: Smudge