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░ ██ ██ Artist: Sabbat ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Evoke █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2017 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-06-13 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Thrash Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Fallen-Angels Productions ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Reissue ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Evoke, the second full-length album from Sabbat, █
█ was released through Evil Records in March 1992. █
█ This came, roughly, around the same time as █
█ Darkthrone's A Blaze in the Northern Sky and █
█ Burzum's self-titled debut. Had the band hailed █
█ from somewhere in northern Europe, rather than █
█ Japan, perhaps they would have made a bigger mark █
█ in the underground. However, geography was not the █
█ only thing that separated Sabbat from the growing █
█ Norwegian scene. Evoke is an album born, purely, █
█ from the First Wave attitude and influences. It █
█ would not be incorrect to view it as an extension █
█ of that which began with the early work of Venom. █
█ As such, no matter how dark the atmosphere might █
█ get, it still lacks the all-consuming evil of an █
█ L.P. like De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, for example. █
█ The material on Sabbat's sophomore effort is not █
█ much different from Envenom. The songwriting █
█ displays a strong inspiration from bands such as █
█ Venom and Mercyful Fate. The latter is evident in █
█ nearly every song on the album. Many of the riffs █
█ and drumming patterns would not be out of place on █
█ classics like Melissa or Don't Break the Oath. The █
█ intensity level of some tracks seems to have █
█ increased from the previous album, with "Torment █
█ in the Pentagram" being a good example. This may █
█ be why some less-informed listeners have, █
█ mistakenly, called this Death Metal. Only one or █
█ two riffs could be thought to deserve such a █
█ label, and only by those that choose to ignore the █
█ overwhelming amount of Black / Thrash that █
█ characterizes not only this L.P. but this band, in █
█ general. There are hints of NWOBHM, such as "The █
█ Curse of Phraoh", which makes a lot of sense when █
█ one looks back on the band's previous output. The █
█ one strange addition is "Metalucifer and █
█ Evilucifer", which features several riffs that █
█ sound like something from a Testament album. For █
█ the most part, this release opts for a more █
█ straightforward approach, which even includes the █
█ guitar solos. Gezol utilizes a variety of vocal █
█ styles, from a deeper (yet still kind of raspy) █
█ sound to odd whispers to some horrible shrieks █
█ that may be an attempt to emulate King Diamond. █
█ Overall, the music is very much in line with what █
█ one would expect from Sabbat, though it seems to █
█ be missing something. The thing is that, as good █
█ as the album is, it kind of falls short of █
█ attaining the same level as its predecessor. This █
█ is more evident by the inclusion of "Mion's Hill" █
█ as a bonus track, taken from the 1990 Sabbatical █
█ Demon demo. This single song overshadows █
█ everything else on Evoke, and draws attention to █
█ the fact that the rest of the tracks lack the same █
█ kind of epic atmosphere that is found here. That █
█ is not to say that this represents a drastic █
█ departure from Envenom, only that this possesses a █
█ little less of some of the things that made that █
█ album so impressive. █
█ The production is much the same as before, though █
█ a little clearer. That being said, this record █
█ still sounds as if it could have been released in █
█ the mid-to-late '80s. The guitar is the dominant █
█ element, though the vocals are prominent as well, █
█ while never detracting from the riffs. The drums █
█ are loud enough to serve their purpose, but █
█ possess a dry and flat sound that enables the █
█ percussion to remain more of a background aspect. █
█ The bass is audible, to an extent, though more in █
█ the sense of an ever-present and ominous rumble. █
█ This adds another layer of filth to the sound, █
█ which suits the primitive music. █
█ Evoke is a very good album and is recommended to █
█ any fan of Sabbat, or Black / Thrash in general. █
█ While Sabbat was unable to top their previous █
█ work, this LP still reaches a level of quality █
█ that most bands fail to even come close to. Pick █
█ this up if you have not already done so, but only █
█ after obtaining Envenom, which is the more █
█ essential of the two. █
█ █
█ Ripper's note: bonus tracks are taken from "Born █
█ by Evil Blood" 7"EP (1987) █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Danse du Sabbat / Envenom into the 6:51 ░
░ Witch's Hole ░
░ 2. Godz of Satan 4:48 ░
░ 3. Sabasius 3:08 ░
░ 4. Total Necro... 5:35 ░
░ 5. Torment in the Pentagram 5:14 ░
░ 6. Beyond the River 5:34 ░
░ 7. The Whisper of Demon 4:09 ░
░ 8. Hellhouse (Kanashibari Part 3) 7:29 ░
░ 9. The Curse of Phraoh 2:22 ░
░ 10. Metalucifer and Evilucifer 5:06 ░
░ 11. Satanic Rites / Curdle the Blood (Bonus 5:42 ░
░ Track) ░
░ 12. Poison Child (Bonus Track) 4:23 ░
░ 60:21 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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