Sacrilege - Turn Back Trilobite (1989)

As a great man (or troupe) once exclaimed: and now for something completely different. If you couldn't see the Sacrilege logo or the faces of the bands on the album, it would be extremely difficult to make the connection between Turn Back Trilobite and the previous two albums. This was probably an enormous turn-off for fanatics who were hoping the band would return to its punk-fueled style after the very mediocre speed metal of Within the Prophecy, and yet...Turn Back Trilobite is an original and compelling work which, in my humble opinion, is the best of their career. To describe this album is to describe a hybrid of speed, thrash, 80s power metal and a more morose inkling of traditional doom, all unified for a concise, conceptual album that blurs the lines of science, Hinduism and philosophy with concerns to our universe and existence as a species.

Of course, this sounds a lot headier than it really is, and I must warn you that Turn Back Trilobite is a mellow album for the most part. If you expect ceaseless tirades of punkish metal energy, go back to their 1985 debut. These songs are written carefully, tending towards a slower pace, and more than any other effort, Simpson gives her voice a chance to breathe out its notes. The bass player here is Frank Healey (Cerebral Fix), replacing Tony May from the prior album, and he doesn't do a lot, but his tone pumps nicely below Damien Thompson's melodic picking, the true backbone of the album.

"Father Time" evokes an instant, cosmic doom through its one man dual leads, while the drums simmer off from a tribal opening to a drudging, doom beat. The overall vibe is reminiscent of Fates Warning's No Exit or Perfect Symmetry, though the riffs are far more Sabbath and the tones warmer. Simpson uses her voice like a traditional doom narrative, though the vocals on this track are not my favorite. "Silent Dark" is a little catchier, especially how the bass plays with the little lead in the intro, and each phrase spans out like an interstellar jellyfish deciding which moon to land itself on. The track becomes even more glorious as it picks up speed, a good classic rhythm pumping along and some really great riffs like that at 2:25. "Soul Search" opens in glistening, pensive acoustics and bass, cavorting into a sad, bluesy solo. Much of the song stays in ballad form, though the bridge and solos are delivered through some simple metal. "Awaken (Suryanamaskar)" has a playful boogie to it, very NWOBHM, with Thompson again flexing his lead chops against himself and a dark Fates Warning-like rhythm in the verse. Tam's vocals are great here, like if Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth was jamming with Tony Iommi.

You came to me when I was poor
Gave me riches sweet and pure.
Touched my soul and gave me peace
In your warmth life's new release.

The "Key to Nirvana" begins with more of Thompson's glorious melodies; it's a fair song which revisits some of the rhythm of "Father Time". However, the nearly 12 minute epic "Into the Sea of Tranquillity Parts 1-3" will have to take the cake as one of the more immersive works of their career. It starts with beautiful ambiance and acoustics, slowly evolving into a huge melodic doom riff that makes you feel at once baked and floating. Basically, it's Sacrilege doing a take on some 70s prog that flavors itself with graceful melodic leads, and there are some great moments near the end where her voice rings out across the acoustics and the band simply becomes... something... else. "Equinox" is the finale to both album and career, evoking strange space noises, roiling bass and more of the tranquil acoustic guitars before picking up into a lurching melodic gait. The bridge rhythm and leads later in the track are quite good.

Despite its sedate nature, Turn Back Trilobite was such an original work in its day that I must recommend it to fans of traditional doom metal and progressive rock. Tam's voice is not 100% with it all the time, otherwise I'd like it even more myself, but there is no doubting the vision and depth that took place here. Extremely far removed from their prior recording output, it sits alone, an anomaly of metal which went straight over the heads of its intended audience, who will still too busy jacking themselves off over ...And Justice for All and South of Heaven to notice.

Highlights: Silent Dark, Into the Sea of Tranquillity Parts 1-3, Equinox

Verdict: Win [8.25/10] (come crashing to the ground)

http://www.myspace.com/uksacrilege

Sacrilege - Within the Prophecy (1987)

As soon as the opening space organs of Within the Prophecy part way for the shuffling drum march and melodic outpouring of the guitars, you know you are already in for something a little different than what you heard on Beyond the Realms of Madness. This is the 2nd album of English Sacrilege, and it has only a little in common with its predecessor, that being the filthy speed metal edge and the production of the guitars. Much of this album reminds me of early Slayer (the first two albums), it has that same raw fuel to the guitars, though Sacrilege had a more natural predisposition towards melody, and the album sounds really raw.

Tam's vocals are not a far cry from her prior work, but they pierce and cut here straight through the walls of guitar riffs. A little cleaner, but still pretty scratchy and gritty when they need to be. The rest of the band is rock tight, with driving rhythms, thundering if tinny drums courtesy of Spikey T. Smith, and a soft if present bass that hangs out below to center the very fuzzy, thick guitars. Within the Prophecy is not quite hooky enough to bring it level with an album like Show No Mercy, but that is certainly the tree up which it is barking, and it does get about half way there before the 45 minutes is out.

"Sight of the Wise" features the aforementioned proggy intro before its thrashing erupts, and I half expect Tom Araya to pipe in with his vitriol. There are some good leads here, and it's an enjoyable tune for the speed metal afficionado, though it has no specific riffs which stand out far. "The Captive" is carved out with plodding bass rhythms and burnin' rock & roll leads before a lyric pattern that wouldn't have been out of place on Hell Awaits breaks in, and "Winds of Vengeance", one of the longer tracks (at over 7 minutes), thunders forth with a rhythm that feels a LOT like "Angel of Death". There are not a lot of lyrics on this track, and probably too much time spent without them, because the riffs are not really good enough to support themselves. "Spirit Cry" has some mellow breaks with the lead and the bass, but again the song suffers from a general lack of vocals (when they do appear, they are great.) "Flight of the Nazgul" shows some pre-emptive doom leanings, and "The Fear Within" is passable. The final track of the album, "Search Eternal", is an epic at nearly 11 minutes in length, and it's the best thing you'll hear on Within the Prophecy, kind of a pastiche of rhythms from other songs with a lot more lyrics, and the song develops some fair moments of leads and balladry near its closure.

Crowding every corner, with the prizes of knowledge
Creating lonely wastes, with empty ignorance
Filling time with reason, dismissing wonder endlessly
That is lost and can't be found, search for eternity

This is the least impressive of the Sacrilege albums, because it doesn't really find much of a footing on its own, and simply apes many other speed/thrash/power metal albums of the time, the only real difference being Simpson's voice. The lyrics are still as meaningful of the debut, simply more introspective and ponderous. Unfortunately I always compare this to Holy Moses' excellent Finished with the Dogs, which came out the same year and is leagues ahead of this in both songwriting, aggression and charisma. Though competently performed, few of the riffs of Within the Prophecy merit enough memory to revisit.

Highlights: Sight of the Wise, Search Eternal

Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10] (smile glances on sad lips)

http://www.myspace.com/uksacrilege

Sacrilege - Beyond the Realms of Madness (1985)

England's Sacrilege were a fairly interesting band that sadly fell under the radars of many metal fans in the 80s. Notable for being one of the few British metal bands with a good female singer, they also made an interesting transition through their three albums, from an early crossover of speed/thrash with a steady punk influence, to a very laid back, unique brand of thrash/doom metal. Here on Beyond the Realms of Madness, the band played fast and filthy with a huge hardcore/punk influence, and combined with Tam Simpson's aggressive voice they felt like a hybrid of Znöwhite and Discharge. This debut was only 26 minutes long, with six tracks, but it provided more than enough energy for fist mashing and burning off your body fat in youthful anger, and I certainly recommend it to anyone seeking out old school punk, thrash, crossover, hardcore, you name it!

"Life Line" opens with a resounding ambient tone before the frothy pistons of its punk edge begin to hammer forward. In particular I love the second riff, a speed metal flurry that is easily the rival of bands like Acid, Détente, Holy Moses, or other female fronted classics. The track doesn't let up for 4 minutes, and the slower "Shadow from Mordor", which, in a strange maneuver, instantly removes you from the street and takes you into a fantasy metal realm, with evocative solos that lead into a faster paced, steady rocking rhythm worth tossing in any spiked gauntlet. "At Death's Door" is mean but not lean, 5 minutes of crushing metal which yet again fills out the punk roots into a pissed off metal angst. The extended breakdown at about 2:00 here is pretty great, with a trace of doom like progression as it pummels you repeatedly.

The land holds the hammer but mankind deals the blow
Economics and profit before compassion we show

The lyrics are fairly political, even "Shadow from Mordor", which again honors the thrash and hardcore tradition. "A Violation of Something Sacred" is another heavily punk-driven tune spitting more fumes than a rusted engine, and Tam's shouts likely had circle pits a-brewing and mohawks shaking in pubs all over the UK. "The Closing Irony" opens with the intonations of bells, and then a mid paced dirty thrashing riff and some swell leads. This is my single favorite song of the album, and I like that the bells return to sound off like a crunching pendulum. "Out of Sight Out of Mind" has some excellent, churning speed metal rhythms which sound like a napalm barnstorming, as it spits another round of core-fueled aesthetics and mosh-downs to top off the album.

One of the reasons I occasionally listen back to Beyond the Realms of Madness is the excellent tone of the album. It's raw and pissed off, no excess studio wash-job, and it has so much of that edge which modern hardcore and punk (and thrash) can rarely emulate in their endless fashion parade. This is a bruiser of an album, so if you have only heard Turn Back Trilobite and you're listening for the first time, you may be surprised, there is not a lot in common except for the same musicians. That being said, it's a little hard to compare to their later work, which evolves away from this sound. The Sacrilege of 1985 was almost a separate band entirely, but a good one, and if you like a mix-up of Discharge punk rhythms and Holy Moses speed metal, then I urge you to track it the debut down.

Highlights: Life Line, At Death's Door, The Closing Irony, Out of Sight Out of Mind

Verdict: Win [8/10] (cold concrete replaces warm soil)

http://www.myspace.com/uksacrilege