SACRIFICE

Not to be confused with the Canadian thrashers bearing the same name, Japan's SACRIFICE was a fantastic heavy metal band that was also very much thrash in nature. A more fitting description would be that they were a traditional heavy metal band that also harbored thrash's aesthetic and aggressive approach. A distinguishing facet of their identity was their nasty and hateful bursts. RELICS FROM THE CRYPT, the sub-label of DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS, reissued 1990's "Total Steel" on vinyl in 2021, arguably the band's peak, and they're now set to reissue the ensemble's third album, "Tears".

The Tokyo-based quartet's sophomore album, "Total Steel", dipped its toes in that rough 'n' tumble hardcore and crossover realm that has pretty much always been love it or hate it, but it was simply dangerous in some places back then. SACRIFICE bridged core parts of CARNIVORE, THE EXPLOITED and CRO-MAGS with an added dose of darkness inspired by black metal forerunners like VENOM and CELTIC FROST. SACRIFICE tastefully blended these influences, a case of emulation rather than mindless regurgitation. "Tears" didn't abandon this development altogether. However, the approach morphed significantly, and "Tears" yanked on the reigns a bit. They slowed things down, creating more negative space, and allowing them to be more expressive in an emotional sense. Regarding pace, opening number "Never Land Never Again" begins with an almost sludge-like, dragging dirge informed by CRO-MAGS's brute force. This might be surprising since the song is more than seven minutes long. It's a moody track that's also punctuated with stabbing rage, a number that also highlights their ability to restrain themselves.

On the flip side, "Breaking The Silence Of The Night", picks up the tempo toward a violent attack that's catchy and savage all at once. Kenji Suzuki's intense drumming propels the assault with unyielding energy. "In Your Soul", meanwhile, is bleaker, showcasing that penchant for black metal, which is evident in Hiroyuki Murakami's impressive lead work. Elsewhere, "Breaking The Silence Of The Night" is a more typical thrasher that is full tilt and sufficiently filthy, again aided by Akira Sugiuchi's biting growled vocals.

"Tears" is ultimately the band's most mature album while being its most direct and concise. The lengthy intros common on their previous efforts are still present but fewer and farther between. Those intros are powerful on the aforementioned opener and on "Broken Heroes". The songs remain quite lengthy, but now driven with purpose. The album's shortest song is nearly four-minutes long.

SACRIFICE would go on a hiatus after the release of this album, reuniting in 2013 for live performances. "Tears" was ultimately even more of an atypical slab of assailing metal than its impressive predecessor. It was also a bolder move to continue onward with this approach, considering that crossover was far from being en vogue in 1992.