SABOTAGE
SABOTAGE “Pishach”
By Dr. Abner Mality
The hits keep on coming from India! SABOTAGE is the latest and what these guys lack in sophistication, they make up for in sheer breathless enthusiasm. “Pishach” is an album deeply rooted in the very earliest thrash metal...specifically, the first METALLICA and ANTHRAX albums...and you can feel that primeval thrash energy here, which helps the album leap above its obvious shortcomings.
Cuts like “Eye For An Eye”, “Sabotage” and “Demons In Paradise” let ‘er rip with familiar but infectious thrashy riffs. The promo I have doesn’t name band members (why??) but the real stars of the show are the lead guitarists, who just jam like madmen when it’s solo time. Most of the songs here end with pure metal shredding that had me playing air guitar big time. The drummer also delivers the goods and there is the occasional use of a traditional Indian percussive instrument called the Cherida that freshens things.
Where SABOTAGE takes a step back are the vocals, which are average to say the least. They do have energy, but are pretty flat and show no variation. They’re similar to a lot of “crossover” shouted tones with little real singing. If the band got a singer with real range and aggression, they’d be almost unstoppable. That being said, I don’t detect any accent, which is a plus.
The album’s strongest moments are the beginning and ending. The middle songs “Victory or Valhalla” and “Melody of Betrayal” are not quite as potent as the rest, though they still boast killer guitar solos. All in all, “Pishach” is proof positive that enthusiasm can carry the day when it comes to thrash metal.