SINNER – There Will Be Execution

There is something decidedly feral about Sinner’s 17th (yes, that’s right, 17th) release, There Will Be Execution. They have been making music since 1984, so if you have yet to hear of them, it’s because you haven’t been listening.

The CD begins with its strongest offering, an aggressive song titled “Higher Level of Violence.” This attitude continues on in songs like “There Will Be Execution,” “Die on Command,” “God Raises the Dead” and “Liberty of Death.” If you are looking for a warm fuzzy, look elsewhere.

Fans of Metallica should check out riffs at the beginning of the fourth song, “Die on Command.” It has the old school chugging sadly bereft from Metallica’s latest releases. And when the chorus hits, you may find yourself yelling, “die on command!” with singer and bass player Mat Sinner, especially when he adds, “die … die!” right before the guitar solo. You may yell “die … die” all the time anyway, but this time you can blame it on the lyrics.

Mat Sinner is a founding member of Primal Fear, along with Sinner guitarist Tom Naumann. But, Sinner just plays bass for Primal Fear, so he gets to stretch his vocal cords in his own band. He isn’t going to turn any heads, but his guttural and somewhat nasal voice works well here.

The only song that doesn’t fit the CD is called “The River.” When Sinner sings “Where the river flows, will you be my soul, and I can’t get it over you …” you wonder what happened to dying on command. It IS a good song, and can stand alone, but listed between “God Raises the Dead” and “Liberty of Death,” it loses any attempted poignancy.

The last song on the CD, “Crown of Thorns,” is also one of the highlights. Good lyrics, and a nice tempo change that continues with the menacing aura of the CD without bludgeoning the point home.

A humorous, 10-second sarcastic homage to the Beatles’ tune “Eight Days a Week” closes the CD, so if you were actually waiting for a warm fuzzy, that’s as close as you’ll get.