Review: Sacrament – Testimony of Apocalypse
From the Vault Review – Sacrament – Testimony of Apocalypse
Ah, Sacrament. That other nasty Christian thrash metal band, Sacrament seem to languish in the shadow of their more furious and famous cousin, Vengeance Rising. Perhaps this is because they released their debut a couple of years after the initial shock felt by the release of Vengeance Rising’s Human Sacrifice. Be that as it may, in 1990, as death metal was hitting its full stride and thrash was receding into the background, Sacrament released one of the heaviest thrash records ever made: Testimony of Apocalypse.
I’ve read that this is argued by some as being the first Christian death metal record (predating Mortification’s self-titled 1991 debut); one could argue that it is a fine example of death/thrash. For myself, I think Sacrament’s debut is what happens when a band pushes thrash metal as a style and subgenre to its uttermost limits.
Perhaps you’ve been privy to the surgical ear-slicing of Sacrament’s second album Haunts of Violence. If so, this is a different beast entirely, though the band maintains its extreme, hard-hitting core. It’s an odd reference, but do you remember that line about “driving a dump truck through a nitro-glycerin plant” in the movie Christmas Vacation? Well, Testimony of Apocalypse is that nitro-glycerin plant, and Sacrament are the dump truck.
Testimony of Apocalypse has a sonic effect akin to blunt force trauma. Usually, thrash albums are more cutting and precise, even the more violent ones put out by bands like Slayer, Deliverance or Living Sacrifice (on their debut, that is). Not so with Sacrament. Instead, Testimony of Apocalypse surges forward like a monolithic, surging wall of sound, the oppressive and murky guitars threatening to swallow the listener whole. Original vocalist Mike Torone’s brawny tough-guy bellows echo what I remember hearing from a band like Biohazard, but display incredible range, going from full-throated roars to high-pitched, Tom Araya-esque screams. It’s overpowering and overwhelming in all the right ways. If that’s not enough, the solos act like a fighter plane dodging anti-aircraft fire, violently and deliberately swooping and swan-diving around the music with fervent complexity. Few thrash bands hit this level of power and brute force, and as someone who favours the extreme end of heavy metal 99% of the time, it really satisfies.
Sacrament’s lyrics were about as urgent and hard-hitting as their music on this one, too. Echoes of the prophet Ezekiel and the Psalms abound, and the title track’s lyrical thrust is pretty obvious. But the band’s main emphasis here is on the saving work of Christ in the lives of those who choose to believe in and follow Him. Death and suffering are overcome, even in spite of their existence, by Christ’s death and resurrection. Of course, I wish there was also an equal emphasis on the salvific nature of the Incarnation in and of itself, but perhaps that’s just me. Regardless, this is about as intent on evangelizing listeners as it gets, but it’s also about bolstering up the faithful as well.
If you’re someone who leans to the heavier end of thrash (Slayer and Sepultura over Metallica and Megadeth), and you haven’t yet heard this classic, it’s time to acquaint yourself with one of thrash metal’s finest and most brutal offerings. An overlooked classic.
For Fans Of: Vengeance Rising, Slayer, Testament, Deliverance, Opprobrium
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