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SACRIVERSUM “Before The Birth Of Light”
SACRIVERSUM “Before The Birth Of Light”
By Dr. Abner Mality
Have you ever wondered what DEEP PURPLE would sound like as a death metal band? SACRIVERSUM from Poland definitely provides an answer! These guys have a long history going back to the early 90’s but this is my first encounter with them…and it’s a very delightful one!
This is a great combination of death metal and prog rock. A lot of credit goes to the inventive keyboard work of “Baran”, who adds some awesome Jon Lord quality Hammond organ sound to SACRIVERSUM’s diverse attack. This is heard nowhere better than first two proper tracks “We’re Storming Through The Night” and “Let Us Ride The World”. These two cuts have heavy guitar crunch and the deep bass growls of “Remo” keep the death metal quotient high, but Baran’s key work brings names like PURPLE and HEEP to mind. The other instruments are also played at a high level, but SACRIVERSUM kept my interest most strongly when the keys were in the forefront.
The track “Golden Halls of Valhalla” has a chaotic, hyperactive feel with wild tempo and riffs changes. This one reminded me of another progressive extreme metal band…ENSLAVED! And that’s never a bad comparison to have in your pocket. Some of the piano work on this track is exquisite but the twin guitar attack brings PESTILENCE to mind as well. “March of the Giants” is another cracking progressive death metal track and then things start to simmer down with the title track, where prog overtakes the metal a bit.
“We Die,We Fly” brings that “PURPLE-gone-death” feeling back in spades, “Chaotic Realm of the Sea” has that ENSLAVED vibe and epic final track “Chief of the Fearless” closes things with a steady crunch and more beautiful keywork.
SACRIVERSUM have come up with a great surprise here and a treat for any fan of progressive yet extreme metal! Oh, and the cover art is gorgeous, too!
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