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Sanctus Infernum - Sanctus Infernum (CD)

extreme death / doom, BadMoodMan Music, BadMoodMan Music
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Debut album by an American Band – a project of Mark Anderson from the legendary heavy rock band Manila Road. The music can be described as a combination of death/black and death/doom and is full of heavy riffs From time to time the riffs, the solo’s and the vocals approach the classic work of Tiamat “Clouds”. Excellent recording quality and superior musician craft make this album different from many others.

Tracklist:
1 Flesh Without Sin 4:57
2 God Unto Myself 5:18
3 The Journey Back 10:32
4 Facing The Black 5:24
5 Suffer 2:58
6 Waking The Dead 5:01
7 What Calm Is Without Storm 3:52
8 Let It Be So 7:02

Artist:
Sanctus Infernum
Artist Country:
United States
Album Year:
2008
Title:
Sanctus Infernum
Genre:
extreme death / doom
Format:
CD
Type:
CD Album
Package:
Jewel Case
Label:
BadMoodMan Music
Cat Num:
BMM. 010-08
Release Year:
2008
Country Of Manufacture:
Russia
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Review
Metal Reviev
6.4/10
14.10.2008

Those of you who have taken an economics class at some point in your life probably know the concept of the law of diminishing returns. This concept has also been known to appear in other facets of life besides economics. In very simple terms, it teaches us that if you keep repeating the same formula over and over, at some point you will achieve lesser results. I say all this because I found that the self-titled debut from Sanctus Infernum is a good illustration of how this law can appear in the music realm.

Before we continue this…ahem, lesson…let’s get to know the band, shall we? Hailing from Midwest USA (Kansas, to be exact), Sanctus Infernum play a slow and doomy version of death metal with a healthy amount of groove thrown in. Add to that the vocals of Ricky Vannatta, which are generally a harsh whispery growl, and you have what sounds a bit like a doomier version of Bolt Thrower with Peter Tägtgren behind the mic. Every description I have seen, be it from the band or their label, describes the sound as black doomdeath, but I really don’t hear any black…at all. What I do hear are the razor sharp leads of Mark Anderson (formerly of Manilla Road) that had me fully on board as I nodded along with the opening track, Flesh Without Sin. Unfortunately, this is where the law of diminishing returns connection appears. Tracks 2, 3, and 4 sound remarkably similar. Now, I don’t always mind this, but this is pushing it. The leads and riffs don’t just sound similar, they almost sound like the same 10 or so notes played in varying orders. The effect on me was that by the time song 4, Facing the Black, took off, I was becoming a bit bored with the style. Seriously, save for the acoustic intro and outro on The Journey Back, everything feels very “paint by numbers”. The crisp and heavy riffing on Suffer does its part to break the monotony, as do portions of the final three tracks, but for me the die was already cast.

If you like your death metal with a healthy amount of groove, Sanctus Infernum just might be for you. Others may not have the same problems I did with the songwriting, but it is definitely a pitfall that needs to be considered. I would advise sampling the waters extensively first. You may find, like me, that your rating of this album gets continually worse as it unfolds. On a positive note, Anderson’s riffing has its bright spots, and Vannatta’s vocals are very powerful, but each loses their edge after repeated listens. In the end, this is one of those albums where you are better off listening to a track or two here and there.

Author: Adam
Solitude Productions 24.10.2009, 01:02
Review
Fobia Zine
7/10
13.10.2008

Kapela pochází z Ameriky, přesněji se toto uskupení podařilo složit v samotném Kancasu. Jak z názvu napovídá, nebudou to žádní hodní pánové. První disk v jejich diskografii nasadil vcelku slušnou laťku a sám si říkám, jestli jí svým dalším zářezem překonají.

Bez intra se jde rovnou na věc a to velmi přímočaře. Deathík v pomalejším tempu s nádechem těžkých a hutných doomových riffů mě nutí k bedlivému poslechu. Nápaditým kytarovým sólem končí první song, který jakoby pokračoval ve stopě číslo dvě. Mohutný pěkně zabarvený chraplák zdobí každou skladbu, ale nejdou se i pasáže, kde je zpěv čistý. Albem se prokoušu celkem rychle, poslech víc než utíká a já jsem nucen přetáčet kotouček pořád dokola. Začátek The Journey Back, která je třetí na albu, patří španělkám a navnadí sluchovody pro nadcházející peklo, které si dává načas a nikam nespěchá. Velmi chytlavé kousky jsou například God Unto Myself
a Suffer, která si mě získala během prvních 10 vteřin. Těžký hutný riff jaký můžeme znát např. od Six Feet Under, se mi dostal rychle pod kůži. Se zbývajícími songy jsem si ujasnil, že nejlepší z desky bude právě Suffer.

Zvuk placky je slušný, působí hodně „heavy“ a dynamicky. Bicí zde mají skvělý zvuk a do kytarových partií šlapou přesně jako hodinky. Složitost muziky hledat nemůžeme a možná právě proto placka působí tak jak působí. Na mě udělali páni z Amariky dojem. Jen tak dál…

Author: Orbb
Solitude Productions 24.10.2009, 01:01
Review
Rock Underground
7/10

Esta é uma banda norte-americana, pasmem! Ué, por que? Porque sim! Imagine isso há 20 anos atrás se seria possível, um grupo norte-americano não conseguir assinar com um selo de seu país e humildemente, conseguir contrato com uma gravadora russa! E olha que o projeto é de Mark Anderson, antigo membro do lendário Manilla Road! Se é norte-americano, é New Metal? Não. Tem groove? Também, não. Power Metal Épico como sua ex-banda? Menos ainda. Um saudável artefato mesclado entre Doom e Death, desta vez, mais Death do que Doom, ao contrário de todas as outras coisas do selo Solitude Productions, que presta ótimos serviços em prol do Metal em geral e do Doom, claro. Mark atende pelas cordas, enquanto Ricky Vannatta é o vocalista e Chris Johnson na bateria. .Estamos a falar de sua estréia mesmo. Eles estão muito em melodia, usando violões, em muitos casos, aqui e ali, criando uma base para as suas músicas misteriosa. Eles são principalmente flertando com os inevitáveis elementos egípcios, algo na linha Nile, mas com sua própria característica. Vamos parar de achar que tudo que é egípcio, é influência de Nile! Eles não inventaram o Egito nem são faraós, apenas, o maior representante ao falar dos temas de lá. Se você lembrar aqui de Solitude Aeturnus e Candlemass novo, não se assuste. Pois o Solitude Aeturnus é a maior banda de Doom dos EUA e seu vocalista, o legendário Robert Lowe, hoje está no Candlemass. Robert virou “o” cara do Doom do momento! O Sanctus Infernum é uma das bandas menos poderosas do cast da Solitude Productions, mesmo com todo esse background, mas não deixa de ser boa
Solitude Productions 24.10.2009, 01:00
Review
Executioner Zine
7.25/10

¿Quién habría dicho unos años atrás que a las bandas americanas las acabarían editando sellos rusos? Sanctus Infernum es un nuevo proyecto que ha montado el señor Mark Anderson (Manilla Road) y donde da rienda suelta a sus inquietudes más extremas.

En este caso tenemos ocho temas de un Doom/Black que me trajo a la mente casi instantáneamente a Candlemass si usasen un vocalista de voz desgarrada y grave, a medio camino entre el registro Death y Black, y con algo más de pesadez en la música. Riffs densos, pegadizos y contundentes, de los que tan famosos han hecho los suecos (o Solitude Aeternus, por no centrarnos en una sola influencia), con ese toque tan característico de melancolía y el pequeño retazo diabólico que siempre está ahí. Y no quiero que esto suene como algo negativo, está claro que son muy parecidos, rozan el plagio en algunos temas (esto se da sobretodo en los primeros, a partir de la mitad se alejan algo de esa influencia), pero al menos están a la altura de los originales.

La diferencia está en la voz, como dije antes, y me imagino que ese punto es el que puede sorprender y, en algunos casos, disgustar, lo cual no ha ocurrido en el mío. Es mejorable, sí, pero pega bastante bien. El tono es profundo pero entendible, bien vocalizado y con feeling, aunque muy frío. Digamos que le da un toque añadido de densidad y oscuridad al conjunto.

Aparte de eso, el trabajo de guitarra es digno de mención, contundente y con el toque justo de melodía y técnica que evitan la monotonía, unos solos épicos bastante buenos y una progresión de riffs que sabe jugar con pocos cambios pero consiguen que no te aburras.

Producción más que correcta, aunque le falta algo que no sé que es, pero vamos, sin pegas, suena bien, y una presentación también correcta. Un CD que no está mal para empezar, pero tendrán que ahondar en su sonido y encontrar como usar esas influencias sin recurrir tan claramente a ellas

Author: Jeroni Sancho
Solitude Productions 24.10.2009, 00:59
Review
Metalfan
7.5/10
29.12.2008

Lekker hoor, deze zwartgallige doom metal uit Kansas. Dat komt vooral door het sterke gitaarwerk van Mark Anderson, een man die ook enige tijd de basgitaar bespeelde in Manilla Road. Hij komt op de proppen met een heel arsenaal aan eenvoudige doch lekkere riffs en ook zijn solo's zijn behoorlijk goed te pruimen.

Eenvoud lijkt wel het sleutelwoord op deze debuutcd van Sanctus Infernum. De nummers steken goed in elkaar en de heren doen werkelijk nergens raar. Dat is ook niet nodig, want bij dit soort muziek kun je gewoon lekker achterover leunen. De muziek is echter wel wat agressiever dan veel andere doombands, vanwege de black metal-achtige vocalen van Ricky Vanatta. Daarmee komen we ook aan bij het enige echte minpunt van deze cd, want er zit domweg te weinig variatie in de zang. Ricky brult keurig mee met alle gitaarpartijen, maar dat is dan ook het enige wat hij doet.

Sterkste composities zijn zonder twijfel het mooi opgebouwde Flesh Without Sin en het epische The Journey Back. Vooral in dat laatste nummer komen de invloeden uit de epic metal hoek goed naar voren. Een mooi intro, sterke riffs en meer gevarieerd zangwerk, erg lekker. Liefhebbers van het wat hardere doomwerk kunnen gerust toehappen. Deze band doet weinig fout en men heeft met dit debuut een memorabele doomplaat in elkaar geknutseld.

Author: Jeroen
Solitude Productions 24.10.2009, 00:58
Review
Hardsounds
7.5/10
17.09.2008

Sebbene prodotti da un label russo, i Sanctus Infernum, qui al loro debutto, provengono dalle grigie e desolate distese del Kansas e vantano tra le loro fila la presenza del chitarrista Mark Anderson, che in passato ha militato nella celeberrima heavy metal band Manilla Road. Certo è che non si parla di battaglie epiche e di cavalieri qui: il sound dell'ossimorica band è un lentissimo e ruvido doom/death metal di stampo classico e con una forte componente black. Facciamo delle necessarie precisazioni: la registrazione è ottimale, così come la scelta dei suoni e la composizione dei brani, davvero colta e ispirata anche se gli appassionati del virtuosismo e della tecnica esasperata farebbero meglio a rivolgersi altrove, così come gli estimatori della registrazione spartana e della struttura armonica approssimativa ma "cult". Le coordinate stilistiche sono quelle del Doom Death di scuola classica, in pratica i primi Amorphis e in maggior misura gli Incantation. Quindi nessuna grande innovazione stilistica, solo un album suonato e concepito egregiamente, se può bastarvi. I suoni bassi e saturati della chitarra, che segue a ruota la lenta e inesorabile struttura ritmica di basso e batteria. La solistica è uno dei punti più alti dell'album, essendo caratterizzata da un sopraffino gusto compositivo e grandi melodie, e la monumentale "The Journey Back", lunghissimo brano introdotto e chiuso da bellissimi arpeggi acustici, è la prova che la band è capace di unire in un unico essere un'ottima capacità di creare riff, un gran senso della melodia e passaggi anche piuttosto inusuali. E poi la voce. Il growl bassissimo e sporco di Ricky Vannatta, che incorpora anche elementi black, è quanto di più appropriato e azzeccato ci possa essere per la musica dei Sanctus Infernum. L'elemento Death si fa sentire maggiormente in pezzi come la bella opener "Flesh Without Sin" o "Suffer". Bella anche l'atmosferica e lunga "Let It Be So", brano che gravita tra arpeggi e cupe atmosfere cadenzate. In definitiva, non ci troviamo di fronte a un disco che aprirà nuovi orizzonti musicali o che rivoluzionerà quanto già detto finora, piuttosto un bell'album, che piacerà agli appassionati del genere.

Author: Francesco "Crash" La Tegola
Solitude Productions 24.10.2009, 00:56
Review
Metal District
7.5/10
21.10.2008

SANCTUS INFERNUM sind eigentlich schnell erklärt, bewegen sie sich doch im Schnittmengenbereich doomiger und deathiger Klänge mit schönen Riffs und Rhythmen, die allesamt sehr gerade aus den Boxen rumpeln und eigentlich nie über das Mid Tempo hinausgehen. Man kann bei den etwas treibenderen Momenten durchaus von schönem Düsterheavymetal sprechen, während der Doom instrumental einen Großteil des Bildes bestimmt. Deathig ist nur der Kotzgesang, der den Bogen direkt zur zweiten Todesbleiwelle in die frühen 90er spannt.

Wenige instrumentale Strukturen sind direkt dem Deathmetal entsprungen, selbige werden aber mit der nötigen Hingabe gezockt. Ob gewollt oder nicth, die Band hat den Spleen, geilen Riffs ausgiebig zu frönen, was ein Gefühl von Monotonie aufwirft, andererseits den Stücken eine hypnotische Ausstrahlung gibt. Die Strukturen sind nicht unbedingt verspielt, die Wirkung der einzelnen Abschnitte setzt also direkt beim Hören ein. Es kann einen nicht unbedingt doomgeprüften Fan eventuell langweilen. Wer sich drauf einlassen mag, der bekommt dann aber eine sehr intensive Klangbehandlung, bei der es nicht ansatzweise kuschelig und romantisch zugeht.

Ein merkwürdiges Ausnahmestück für meine Ohren ist der achte Song und Rauswerfer „Let it be so“, dessen Hauptpassage groovig und sehr trocken dahergeschrammt kommt, wobei dann eine Entwicklung zum echten Doom hin erfolgt und in betörend mystischen Soli endet. Das groovige Stakkato in der Strophe allerdings hat schon fast etwas von verlangsamten Pantera um 1992 herum, was nicht negativ gemeint sein soll. In der Einleitung und am Songende stehen einfache, aber sehr eindringliche Läufe auf der akustischen Gitarre. Schön.

Das soll den Rest der Songs nicht aus dem Rampenlicht zerren, denn SANCTUS INFERNUS haben ein großes Potential, von dem erreichten soliden Doomdeathsound hin zu farbenprächtigeren, progressiveren Stücken zu gehen. Wenn sie derlei Elemente in ihre bodenständige, ehrliche Musik einbringen, wird ihnen das Kunststück gelingen, den geneigten Hörer bis in die letzte Faser seines Körpers zu elektrisieren. Das Gefühl für Doom ist ihnen gegeben. Solange genießen wir in gewissen Abständen eben dieses selbstbetitelte Debütalbum, denn, das sage ich hier ganz ehrlich, es könnte sich bei zu häufigem Konsum abnutzen und zu einer Scheibe mausern, die irgendwann bei Internetauktionen feilgeboten wird. Also Obacht, lieber seltener, dann aber mit voller Hingabe diesem Album lauschen.

Noch zu sagen ist, daß es sich um eine amerikanische Band handelt, ich denke der Aufnahmeort Wichita / Kansas deutet auf ihre Herkunft hin, die bei einem russischen Label unter Vertrag ist. Das hätte McCarthy in den 50ern nie zugelassen, ha! Siebeneinhalb solide Punkte für einen soliden Einstand.

Author: SirLordDoom
Solitude Productions 24.10.2009, 00:55
Review
Quintessence
4/6

Sanctus Infernum from Kansas deliver their debut full-length through a label from Russia. I guess that couldn’t be possible say 15 years ago. The world changes, right?
Actually I’m quite glad this album has seen the light of day as this is some proper death/doom metal in the truest sense of the word. Slow, but very heavy riffing done with conviction which leads to songs that invite to bang your head or play air-guitar or at least tap your feet to. Yeah, this is heavy stuff. With the addition of tasteful guitar leads the result is simply great. Nothing really fancy or out of the ordinary this band sticks to being heavy! Due to the vocals I kind of got the idea you can compare Sanctus Infernum a bit to Beyond Belief, but also a band like Lucifer’s Hammer. This self-titled album made such an impression on me that I have to keep myself updated on future releases. Great stuff!

Author: Pim Blankenstein
Solitude Productions 24.10.2009, 00:54
Review
Metalcrypt
4/5
02.02.2009

ostly Doom/Death bands are Doom bands with harsher vocals, but Sanctus Infernum are a bit different in having the attitude and approach of a Death Metal band with the broader compositional palette of a Doom band. This is heavier and more pummeling than the Doom label would lead you to expect, and the band's lyrics and themes are much more evil than sad. There is an almost Black Metal feel to the lyrics, though there is no trace of a BM sound here. The guitar tone is warmer and heavier — a very Doom sound, while the vocals and riffs are much more Death Metal. It's an interesting take on the usual genre mix, and it takes a few spins to really suss what you are hearing. It's kind of like Nile at their slowest with a Sabbath-fueled riff attack — maybe not quite as cool as that sounds, but it is cool. Some of these tunes go on longer than they need to, but Sanctus Infernum are definitely onto something here, I'll be waiting to see what else they can do with it.

Author: Sargon the Terrible
Solitude Productions 24.10.2009, 00:53
Review
The Metal Obsrver
7.5/10
18.10.2008

If a band’s name determined its fate on the Metal music scene, it is most likely that the musicians of SANCTUS INFERNUM would be among the most renown acts dealing with dark heavy stuff. Unfortunately the way from coming up with a suitable name for a musical group to becoming a respected and appreciated one seems to be at least very long and covering this distance is rather impossible without any remarkable artistic merits. Applying this in the context of the Americans’ first release, I can say that a good step has been taken by them and a decent effort has been done. No giant leaps here, yet a portion of solid guitar load of atmospheric Death/Doom character.

Right, the guitars play here the most vital role and the composition structure of particular songs relies basically on this specific instrument. Its extremely heavy sound – quite obviously making me recall a certain gloomy band from Birmingham which started their big career at the beginning of the 70’s – is the first thing one is going to notice here. Another one is that they are driven in a pretty absorbing, nearly hypnotic way that may at times result in uncontrollable and unintended headbanging. This funereal tempo guitar feast bears moreover some Death Metal feeling, which surely enough also emerges courtesy of Ricky Vannatta’s vocal performance. Apart from some few moments filled with whispered lyrics the guy does not care about sparing his vocal cords delivering the texts by the well known extreme means, a feature that not only absolutely suit this music but also emphasizes the mesmerizing potential lying in the guitar riffs.

What undoubtedly constitutes the highlight of this record is the awesome soloing crowning each of the eight compositions that parenthetically are maintained mainly in slow/mid tempo. Clocking between three or sometimes even more than ten minutes these songs, although not being specially diverse (it regards nearly everything – the pace, the vocals, riff structures and rhythmic section efforts), manage somehow to keep my attention during the whole CD. The third track on the list called “The Journey Back” is coming forward as a stand-out track if we focus on musical variety on “Sanctus Infernum”. Being the longest one it involves – aside from the already mentioned features – an introduction part with singer’s whispers accompanied by acoustic guitar and an outro lasting for more than two minutes based solely on a pleasant guitar dialogue sounding for a moment somewhat exotic actually. Such a similar song structure can be found also in the closing tune “Let It Be So”.

Turning my attention towards the production matters, I can say this album represents the ranks of the rather unpolished and raw ones, with the reservation that selectiveness is preserved. The organic feel of the whole album adds to its value and reminds at the same time about the roots of Metal music.

Whereas SANCTUS INFERNUM are neither offering anything new to the genre nor even making an attempt at doing so, they still have released a record that will remain one of the most solid musical publications this year. Honestly, many a Metal fans, mostly those into Doom genre, should in theory be completely satisfied with experiencing these sounds.

Author: Sebastian
Solitude Productions 24.10.2009, 00:52
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