MetalBite Review by Brad on 2/24/2012
I must say it has been quite some time since an album appealed to me in the first 30 seconds. Right from the start Seattle’s
Black Breath new album
"Sentenced To Life" explodes with sinisterly heavy guitar tones and equally matching drums. 'Feast Of The Damned' is quick and to the point; a great set-up for the rest of the album. The album is very Thrash oriented especially in the vocal delivery; very aggressive, but not holding back or afraid of melody and strong hooks with the
Meshuggah style gang vocals used in the chorus. At some points they borrow the classic ride cymbal and down picking riffs of the masters
Slayer, which is always a great way to get the head banging. 'Home Of The Grave' is another stand-out track on
"Sentenced To Life". With a solid tempo, it just beats you up for three and a half minutes. It ironically reminds me a lot of good old
Grave tunes. 'Obey' gradually builds up with double picked 5th notes and then slams into heavy, heavy down tuned sludge at parts. It leaves the listener always surprised with a fresh feeling especially when the Swedish inspired solo kicks in. It ends the album on an extremely solid note and makes you ready to play it all over again.
The production on
"Sentenced To Life" is tight and the music is benefited quite well from it. The guitars are thick and gritty. The drums and bass are as tight as a tick, and the vocals couldn’t fit any better. The album clocks in right around 33 minutes with 10 tracks, and there is not a single dull moment in that time period. I would have to say
Black Breath’s new album will strongly appeal to fans of
Grave, Slayer, and Carcass.
Categorical Rating Breakdown
Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 9
Originality: 8
Overall: 9
Rating: 8.8 out of 10