Sinister
Bastard Saints
[Nuclear Blast]


I'm not overly familiar with SINISTER (I've only ever heard the "Hate" and "Aggressive Measures" albums), but what I have heard I've liked, so when I spotted this in a used CD shop for a mere $7 (Canadian - so that's about 3 cents American), I decided to pick it up.

Well, it's not quite as brutally heavy and fast as "Aggressive Measures", but this is still a worthwhile mCD - first up is "Reborn From Hatred" which is a rather short intro, so there isn't much to say about it really. "Bastard Saints" is the first proper track - a short little ditty with an infectiously heavy rhythm and some brilliant lyrics. Next up is "Rebels Dome" which continues along the same lines but also kicks things up a few notched in speed and aggression. "Crossing The Styx" and "Epoch Of Denial" are the closing two tracks, and I've been told they're re-recordings of songs off earlier releases - I can't compare them offhand (this being the only SINISTER CD I actually *own*), but I can tell you that they're the best songs of the lot, with some really great guitar work. Production on this mCD could have been a bit more raw with some more bite, but it's still a top notch job. And the packaging is fucking brilliant - one of the nicest digipacs I've seen with some great cover art. A worthwhile purchase for those needing a (tasteful yet still brutal) death metal fix...


© 1999 chorazaim