Sabbat - Karmagmassacre (2003) [FLAC]

[AyanoAzusa]

SABBAT
Karmagmassacre
Country: Japan
Year: 2003
Source: CD
Label: Iron Pegasus Records
Catalog Number: I.P.031
Ripped With: EAC (Secure And Test) with LOG and CUE
Format: FLAC

Tracklisting:

1 The Answer Is Hell
2 I'm Your Satan
3 Demonic Serenade
4 Brothers Of Demons
5 Registry Of The Dark Side
6 In League With Devils
7 Black Magical Circle Of Witches
8 The Letter From Death
9 Possession Of The Reaper
10 Satanasword

Black metal band from Japan. It can be said that the story of SABBAT started in 1983 when a band called EVIL consisting of Gezol (b), Ozny (g), Elizaveat (g) Valvin (d) and Toshiya (v) was formed. Except for Ozny the rest of the guys had been playing together since 1981 in high school bands like ABURAMUSHI, HOT ROD and BLACK BEAST. With the high school bands the name of the game was mostly playing covers of NWOBHM acts like IRON MAIDEN and DEMON but with EVIL the aims were immediately set higher. The band started to write material of their own and the first gig was played in August 1983.
Still active band. Released numerous ep's, splits, albums, live gigs etc. They were so much appriciated that fans made they own label called evil records wich releases older stuff of Sabbat on vinyl.

Guitars:
Ozny (1983-1986)
Elizaveat (1983-1991) (Metalucifer, Blind Witch)
Temis Osmond (1991-2005) (Also Vocals & Keyboards) (Blind Witch)

Drums:
Valvin (1983-1985)
Samm (aka Gero) (Shinji Tachi) (1985-1990) (Magnesium, Sacrifice (Jpn), Metalucifer)

Session Musicians:
Shige (1985 rehearsal only) - Drums
Possessed Hammer (1989 one gig only) - Vocals
Barraveat (1989 one gig only) - Guitars
Shaxul - Vocals (On ``Sabbatical Magicrypt`` EP) (Annthennath, ex-Hirilorn, Arphaxat, ex-Deathspell Omega, ex-Barbatos (Live), Surrender of Divinity (Live member))
Yohta Takahashi - Backing Vocals (On ``Sabbatical Magicrypt`` EP)

Samm & Gezol are brothers.

In September '87, Sabbat played a farewell live show, later on released as the "Live Curse" album. Gezol kept on releasing 7'' EPs of previously recorded material every year. In 1990, Gezol decided to reform Sabbat.

Long time member Temis Osmond left the band in November of 2005 after 14 years with the band. He could not continue on with full dedication to the band and also his private life.

Rating - 100%

This is the tenth full-length release from Sabbat, the classic Japanese thrashing black metal band.

Sabbat are one of those bands where every release is sterling. These guys' shopping lists are probably more metal than 90% of everything else out there. When I make up my yearly best-of lists, they're really more like "the best of everything else that isn't Sabbat", assuming that Sabbat put out a full-length album that year.

Now that the requisite worshipful blather is out of the way, I can review Sabbat's newest album. This one is a good deal better than "Satanasword", which is surprising considering how great that one was. Sabbat's songwriting is in full effect here. "The Letter From Death" is my favorite Sabbat song since "Den of Hades" from Karisma. The eerie, slow intro is just genius, and the concept, vocals, and music are all equally excellent. The other songs are nearly as good, too. "The Answer Is Hell" is a ripping opener, and "In League With Devils" has a catchy chorus and bass line that harks back to the early days of Sabbat.

There are two versions of this album, each with different cover art, and one different song. I prefer the Iron Pegasus version, since I like "Registry of Dark Side" a bit better than "Plasmas Goat", but if you're as rabid about Sabbat as I am, you'll probably get both, anyway.

There isn't much more I can say about this one. If you have the money for just one album from the last few years, Karmagmassacre should be among the finalists. Highest recommendations.

Standout tracks: "Brothers of Demons", "In League With Devils", "The Letter From Death" - Vorfeed / Metal Archives