SACRILEGE – The Court Of The Insane

Sacrilege’s NWOBHM story has deep roots. They’ve released 7 studio albums.  Three during their first run from 1982 to 1987 and four during their current run starting in 2012. Their latest The Court Of The Insane is promoted as “staying faithful to their unique style…a typically British, typically unique and traditional Metal sound…classic NWoBHM, this is a must for anyone that loves British Heavy Metal.”

The first three songs demonstrate the patient confidence of a band who understand their strengths and play to them.  “Celestial City” leads off at a leisurely pace content to milk doom tinged riffs dry.  The timbre and temperament of the vocals match perfectly.  In fact, none of the band is overly excited.  They are cool professionals delivering the goods.  Follow up “Lies” presents the band at its most animated. With the pace increased to a gallop, the band is still rock steady.  Metronomic drums and riff work recalling Def Leppard’s “Wasted” give the song a winning foundation.  The title track completes the trifecta.  A stoic court room audio pronouncement precedes more of the detached and deliberate pacing of “Celestial City”.  There are no screaming high notes either vocally or musically.  Vocals are clean, clear and purposefully aununciated.  A listener’s first impression may be there isn’t much going on in these songs.  To an extent, you would be right.  However, it’s a deceptive simplicity.  When songs are stripped this naked, it lays every flaw bare. These songs are well written and executed with consistency.

To this point, the mix is subdued and dark. Beginning with “Bring Out Your Dead”, the mix turns noticeably bright and brittle putting it at odds with its initial gloomy vibe.  While the remaining songs are not as strong, it’s a shame they struggle against the rip tide of the harsh mix.  “No Bequeath” and “Ride Free” are two songs which persevere.  In the former, the band doesn’t stray from what it does well; hooking you with simple but powerful riffs, combing them with equally unflashy but very catchy vocals and propelling them with a powerful rhythm section.  The latter song has a motorcycle engine intro that leads into a formulaic anthem similar to Judas Priest’s “Rock Hard Ride Free”.

Sacrilege does a commendable job of staying faithful to the legacy sound of NWOBHM. The Court Of The Insane is indeed a must have for long time fans of band and should receive strong consideration from fans of 1980s Traditional Heavy Metal.

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TRACKLIST (Highlights: 1, 2, 3, 6, 10)

1. Celestial City
2. Lies
3. The Court Of The Insane
4. Bring Out Your Dead
5. Depression
6. No Bequeath
7. The Prophet
8. Unhinged Mind
9. I Can Hear The Silence
10. Ride Free

Total Playing Time: 55:16 min

LINEUP

Bill Beadle – vocals, rhythm guitars, keyboard
Jeff Rolland – bass
Neil “The Devil Himself” Turnbull – drums