Immortal - Sacrament

Genre: Heavy Metal

Label: Unsigned

Number of Tracks: 10 

Favourite Track: Wish You Were Here

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

It's time for another Review Tuesday! This time around we have Canadian metallers Immortal Sacrament. This will be something of an unorthodox review as they don't have a collective set of works in the traditional sense. Instead, I'll be reviewing the material they have on their ReverbNation page.

With that out of the way, onto the important part – the music. What it lacks in refinement (and it does lack refinement – more on this later) it more than makes up for in ability, energy and sheer balls. The material is crafted with the love and passion of a small band – There's no expectation here, no budgets, just a love for solid, expressive metal. On record they've managed to capture a live vibe that was undoubtedly born of necessity, but it comes across really rather well. Don't get me wrong, there are some drawbacks to the raw nature of the tracks but they aren't amateurish – merely unrefined.

Key tracks:

#1 – This Ones for You.

The opening effort of this collection goes a way to showcase the talent of the band. The Vocals and the Rhythm section stand out really well here, the former being both haunting and compelling, the latter being tight and present. It also features a drastic dynamic contrast, especially during the opening verse.

#3 – My Reflection

Slightly more up-tempo feel, this is possibly a bit rougher than the opening track. It opens into a really excellent riff and just runs from there. The vocals are a little bit rougher too, and it suffers a little bit for it. Still a great track all in all! Especially for that pacey, up-tempo vibe.

#4 – Path to Arise

Another ballsy riff, leads into a far more polished track. It gives a view as to what Immortal Sacrament can become as a band (and probably are, Live). It has a really catchy chorus and flows really nicely. If there's any criticism, it does end rather abruptly.

#5 – Media Bullshit

This song is a little reminiscent of Trivium in it's opening, but then it veers off into something that feels unique. It's another well-written song - I found myself singing the chorus throughout the day - and it's bristling with a more polished energy. Great track.

#7 – Wish You Were Here

This song was surprising. It's has a garage-y feel which really adds to the charm, and is probably one of the softer songs in the collection. It really works though and shows a slightly different side to the band with it's more Puddle of Mudd-esque feel. It highlights more of the passion and some versatility that Immoral Sacrament bring as a unit.

#8 – Battle of Gaia

After Wish you were Here, it injects needed tempo into the experience and some really nice guitar work complements the other parts of the band. It finishes really strongly, on an up-tempo note. Another solid track that highlights the band's pros.

As previously stated, Immortal Sacrament's music does lack refinement and it's time to talk about that for a moment. It has a cons and pros. On the pros side, it avoids the sterility of over-production quite nicely – you can really feel the energy of the band and it comes across beautifully. On the negative side – It doesn't quite sound as good as it could. Tracks 4 & 5 feel the most polished and it really shows. These two tracks stand out on a purely audio level and if the rest of the tracks were to the same standard, they would come across far better. The problem is there are moments where sections of the band are less prominent, and this is a stark inconsistency which does impact the effect of the songs somewhat. However, this is a result of the fact that a lot of the material is self-recorded and recorded live. If you can look past this, there's a real font of quality material and it's worth the perseverance. 

In conclusion, Immortal Sacrament are a real edgy, ballsy outfit with a talent for their own brand of metal! If you can look past the lack of refinement (and in my humble opinion, you should) then you will enjoy what they have to offer. If you live in their particular area then I'd say it's definitely worth going and checking out one of their shows.