Sabbat - Sabbatrinity

Sabbat
Sabbatrinity
2011 RIP Records / Iron Pegasus
A lot has been written and said about this album... now it's my turn. Somehow or another, Japan's Sabbat have gone from a very little known cult underground band to an extremely popular but still underground and cult band. I'm really not sure at all how this happened. They've been around since roughly 1983, but only recently gained a significant amount of fame. I was fortunate to discover them just before Sabbat-mania hit, and score just about all of their CDs at reasonable prices. Right after that, it seemed like everyone else found out about them and prices soared. Sabbat of course are also known for doing a lot of vinyl releases, and along with Nunslaughter have managed to dethrone Venom in that department. But enough of the history lesson! "Sabbatrinity" is the first studio album 2003's "Karmagmassacre." In between, there have been a lot of live albums of various sound quality, and of course more vinyl than anyone could hope to collect. This album also features the debut of new guitarist Damiazell, who has replaced Temis Osmond. The ten tracks here are all one hundred percent pure Sabbat, and that means thrashing metal of the highest order. Yes, the production is a little on the rough side, but that's to be expected and even adds to the band's charm. I'll take a lo-fi 80s style production like this over a super-slick one like Def Leppard's any day of the week. Not surprisingly, there are differences between the pressings of this album. First, you've got three covers. Second, there are two versions of "Witches Torches." They're not remixes, they're entirely different recordings. Not having heard the Iron Pegasus press, I can't say if that means they're played exactly the same or if they have any major differences. I wouldn't put it past the band to put out a 7" with both versions at some point. Anyway, this album is one for all the Sabbat-maniacs out there. Here's to hoping the next one will be out before 2019!