{"id":2745,"date":"2019-12-05T01:49:02","date_gmt":"2019-12-05T01:49:02","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2020-11-22T00:45:43","modified_gmt":"2020-11-22T00:45:43","slug":"sacred-warrior-obsessions-limited-run-vinyl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heavensmetalmagazine.com\/index.php\/2019\/12\/05\/sacred-warrior-obsessions-limited-run-vinyl\/","title":{"rendered":"SACRED WARRIOR: Obsessions (Limited Run Vinyl)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The first installment of the much vaunted and much anticipated Limited Run Vinyl has finally arrived \u2013 the first batch to reach my ears the Retroactive Records releases (Bride \u2013 Silence Is Madness<\/span>, Deliverance \u2013 Stay Of Execution<\/span>, Antestor \u2013 Omen<\/span> and last but not least, Sacred Warrior \u2013 Obsessions<\/span>). It should be no surprise to anyone who has heard me preach metal that Obsessions<\/span> would hands-down be the first of the 4 to grab my attention and make its way onto the Rega Planar 6 platform which serves as the workhorse turntable of my audio system. Equipped with the Exact cartridge \u2013 ideal for rock and metal \u2013 and boosted\/cleaned by the Parasound Halo Jr. preamp, the RP6 was more than ready for the Obsessions<\/span> prime-time hi-fi vinyl debut.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Limited Run Vinyl <\/a>is a new multi-label collaborative series between Roxx Records<\/a>, Girder Music<\/a> and Retroactive Records<\/a> which features 180-gram vinyl releases of classic Christian rock\/metal titles alongside some of the newer cutting-edge bands in the scene. Each release features black poly-lined inner sleeves, random color vinyl (most mixed\/swirled) and most importantly a new master for vinyl. Each title in the series is limited in quantity to 50-200 units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this year the CD remaster of Obsessions<\/span> was released as part of the new Metal Icon Series<\/span> by Retroactive. Here is just a portion of the write-up I contributed to that release regarding the music and legacy of this juggernaut of progressive power metal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What else can be said about Obsessions that has not already been said? While it will always be true that the music speaks for itself, this album truly was the culmination of four great years of work by a band that was sadly not destined to grace us with their ministry and music for much longer after this monumental 1991 release. To quote my own words from the Heaven\u2019s Metal Top 100 Christian Metal Albums Of All Time list \u2013 where Obsessions ranked #7 behind greats like Vengeance \u2013 Human Sacrifice, Tourniquet \u2013 Psycho Surgery, Deliverance \u2013 Deliverance, Whitecross \u2013 Whitecross, Extol \u2013 Undeceived and Stryper \u2013 To Hell With The Devil \u2013 the descriptive went as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cChristendom\u2019s best power metal band ever hit their high-water mark with this collection of songs which perfectly blended Queensr\u00ffche, Iron Maiden and their unique and inspiring take on the scene.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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That view holds to this day, at least in my mind. While each of their three preceding albums were distinct in musical, lyrical and production elements \u2013 each with their own great qualities \u2013 Obsessions <\/em>truly brought it all together on a level that was just so complete and so professional. I remember at the time this was originally released I couldn\u2019t stop being impressed with the licks and lyrics \u2013 and the production quality surpassed anything the band had put forth to date. I was in medical school at the time \u2013 this album an incredibly inspiring collection of songs. So influential was it to me that I even quoted some of the lyrics from \u201cWings Of A Dream\u201d on my (med school) senior yearbook page!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the greatest aspects of this album was (and remains) just how \u201creal\u201d and visceral was the music and were the words conveyed through this metal. The over-arching thread was the faithfulness of God \u2013 that no matter how bad life gets with addictions (\u201cObsessions\u201d), no matter what death steals from us in this world (\u201cSweet Memories\u201d), no matter how far we stray in our faith (\u201cNo Turning Back\u201d), no matter how much the world\u2019s ways seem wise to us (\u201cKamikaze\u201d), no matter how isolated we feel from God because of our sins (\u201cRemember Me\u201d) \u2013 that God is faithful to His promises for us, and that He is sovereign (\u201cFire From Heaven\u201d). And while Satan roams this earth constantly looking for prey (\u201cMad Man\u201d) the hope and faith we have in Christ sets us free (\u201cTemples On Fire\u201d). To this day, I can\u2019t think of a more comprehensive album from both a personal and spiritual perspective that breaks it all down in such a simple and human way. It doesn\u2019t hurt that the soundtrack to these eternal observations is both exceptionally executed and timelessly relevant. (March 2019)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accolades of the original aside, what about this vinyl remaster? I can confidently say that this mix on this media brings these iconic songs into a whole new light \u2013 the sound now massive, much richer and more dynamic. One of the only drawbacks to the original was the slight excess emphasis on loud treble guitars and vocals and a restrained\/compressed bass guitar and drum sound. The immediate impression upon hearing the opening notes of \u201cWings Of A Dream\u201d is one of awe \u2013 there is this tight, yet more resonant bass sound. The warmth is there, but the guitars and vocals still cut through and it all just sounds so massive. The drum salvo at the beginning of the title track catapults out of the speakers, lending a \u201clive\u201d quality to the music that was absent on the more sterile, somewhat over-produced digital mix. Rey\u2019s vocals have a larger than life tonal quality, which is showcased on song like \u201cNo Turning Back\u201d and \u201cRemember Me.\u201d  Velasquez\u2019s snare drum similarly has a fuller tonal range, this quite evident in \u201cTemples On Fire\u201d where the attacking snare notes have more \u201cpunch\u201d than \u201csplat\u201d quality. And the added full resonance of the toms during the open middle section of \u201cMad Man\u201d positively impact the devastating sounds of the album finale. Fandom aside, this is the best these songs have ever sounded \u2013 the vinyl master successful in projecting a more organic, live mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The physical disc itself is impressive, my copy the watermelon swirl in color (as pictured). Instead of the sharp edges on the 140-gram releases, this disc \u2013 in addition to the nice weighty quality \u2013 boasts smooth edges with ample run-in on the playing surface so the initial engagement of the stylus is seamless without skips or jumping right into the music. My disc is essentially flat, although not perfectly so, and well-centered. I love how the label blends right into the record surface, almost as if it is part of the wax. More importantly, it plays flawlessly with very minimal surface noise in the form of a few \u201cpops\u201d mostly noticeable only between tracks and not excessive. While this isn\u2019t quite audiophile quality vinyl, I would venture to say it\u2019s very close, and for this release in particular, the sound quality is notably improved over the original release on CD, largely because of the de-emphasis of the treble and the enhancement of the bass end of the EQ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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