SATAN - Life Sentence

Any who ventured in a Court in the Act or Suspended Sentence by Satan, was either a nostalgic or didn’t much care about is happening today in metal, or, who knows, various explanations can be found. Still, it was hard to believe that one could hope to indulge in a new record from the Brits, not only as good as the ones in the 80s, but an incredibly good one. By 2011 there was word of the “Devil” returning. The word got more and more official, and early this year they announced a new album, Life Sentence.  

While it may not seem so, Satan members did not waste their time these two decades. There were a few shows under the name Satan in big festivals and not only, after 2000, and the name went through two changes in the late 80s, becoming Blind Furry and then Pariah, and they returned to the latter for a brief period ten years later. 

Singer Brian Ross from Court in the Act had returned around 2000 replacing Michael Jackson (not THAT Michael Jackson) so the vocals on Life Sentence are provided by a very adequate voice, bringing a sinister atmosphere over the new material, adhering to the principles of the new wave of British heavy metal. This atmosphere defines the album like a special thing in heavy metal. Satan have kept their overall style, and Life Sentence is a guitarist album. There are solos that are not easily forgotten. Guitarist Ramsey and bass player Graeme English’s experience with Skyclad was a very useful exercise for the new Satan album. Ramsey’s complex guitar playing has worked miracles for this new album, and the whole deal is sealed by 70s sounding riffs. 

Life Sentence is one of heavy metal’s best screams in this day and age. It is melodic, dark and coloured. Production is more modern than we were accustomed from the old Satan, but this only shows off the entire work. Thrash elements are very precise and the overall sound is satisfyingly heavy. 

Gina S. Nota: 8