Sacramentia – Prophecies Of Plague
Extreme Sound Records/Old Shadows Records
Release Date: 06/06/2020
Running Time: 39:18
Review by Victor Augusto
8.5/10
Since I’ve joined forces with this incredible team called Ever Metal, I have seriously put into my mind that I should keep my focus on professional bands for reviews and promotion, no matter if it’s a new or famous band. I also believe, that all people are like radio frequencies and we have a connection with people that are on the same wavelength, and who have the same spirit and passion for the cause. Within this scenario, I had the great opportunity to meet the young people from Sacramentia, a band from a small city called São João da Boa Vista, in the state of São Paulo (Brazil). After our first contact, we worked a lot to spread the word of their debut album and a good friendship has appeared from all of it.
With all I have explained, you are probably asking why I took so long to write a review about them (I know you are not really asking, hahaha), but my honest answer is that I didn’t know if I could write good words about them. “So, Victor, Are you telling us that Sacramentia’s music is not good?” (Again, I am imagining some of you asking it). No, my friends, it is just the opposite. It is so good, and also so complex, that I took a long time to understand their sonority. I was first confused when vocalist Renan showed me the single ‘Crucifiction’ before the album’s release. The title is a fiction about the crucifixion of Christ. Firstly, I thought they were a Black Metal band, but the lyric video of this song shows the exact history of the crucifixion that you read in the Holy Bible. Right after that, I got very confused, if they are a Black Metal Band or a band that worship God or Christ, as many bands do in Brazil (then they are called a White Metal band).
Sacramentia are, actually, not Black or White Metal. The band just play a dark and heavy music that navigates in a Death Metal and Thrash Metal sonority. They talk about lunatics that are involved with religion but from the corruption side…men that use this institution for their own good and the people who are blinded by faith. Actually, the band’s name is a combination of ‘Sacra’ and ‘Dementia’ which explains perfectly what they want to tell us. Most of Renan’s vocal interpretations sound like a priest vociferating religious dogma or trying to corrupt his followers. The most interesting interpretation is on ‘Silent Sinner‘, where he really looks like a devilish priest whispering to his believers.
Musically, this is extremely interesting, utilizing a bunch of influences which mix hugely different bands and genres. The bass of Guilherme Melo is an important instrument that received good volume in the recording process and increases all the darkness and heaviness. The guitar work of André Guimarães and Guilherme Mendes is also very interesting, with the riffs and solos, and even the clean notes, like on the track ‘Scum’, giving an obscure sound. This song shows how good the band are band at creating good variation in their music. ‘In Integrum Pandemonium’ is another example of a mix of their inspirations. For me, this song is like Marduk playing Slipknot, because the initial riff reminds me of ‘Before I Forget’, but the song structure and arrangements is more akin to Black Metal. It also has good Brazilian drum percussion from Leo Michelazzo.
Another good song is ‘Black Psalm’, the longest on the album, which creates a mixed atmosphere. ‘Necrolust’ is the fast track and, again, it is about sacred sins related to sexual temptation within the Church. Brutal song by the way! To summarize what you can expect from “Prophecies Of Plague”, it is an album which combines all the energy of a Thrash/Death Metal band but with Black Metal arrangements. Sometimes, they even sound like Swedish Melodic Death Metal with obscure Norwegian musical influences.
Throw away your thoughts of silly Satanism subjects and instead, listen to a narration of the obscure histories that have happened inside the sacred temple of god and all the moral and personal conflicts that the people involved with it have suffered. For sure, “Prophecies Of Plague” is a pretty intense album, but with a good power too. Become immersed, musically, and thematically, in a subject that always messes with our minds. Maybe it looks like an old-fashioned theme, but it is still a TRULY relevant theme.
Considering all the restrictions new bands here have with affording a good production, Sacramentia have undoubtedly extracted the best from their musicians. They used a four-track soundboard to record this album, but it is not a bad record, they have just put a good level of rawness into their sound. Nice job!
TRACKLISTING:
01. Scorn Fate
02. Scum
03. In Integrum Pandemonium
04. Black Psalm
05. Silent Sinner
06. Necrolust
07. Crucifiction
08. Falling State ov Mind
09. Ancient
10. Unknown Gods
LINE-UP:
Renan Bezan – Vocals
André Guimarães – Guitar
Guilherme Mendes – Guitar
Guilherme Melo – Bass
Leo Michelazzo – Drums
LINKS:
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