Sacramentum - Far Away from the Sun
Adipocere
Melodic Black/Death Metal
9 songs (45'59)
Release year: 1996
Adipocere
Reviewed by Milan
Archive review

Sacramentum were formed in Göteborg in 1990, Far Away from the Sun being their first full length. They have often been compared to Dissection, some even writing them off as nothing more but mere clones. And while it is undeniable that both bands sound very much alike, Sacramentum do set themselves apart, not only from their Dissection counterparts, but in the melodic black/death metal genre as a whole. Afterwards Sacramentum would release two more albums, infusing some thrash into their sound along the way, and eventually breaking up in 1999. Far Away from the Sun not only stands out as the pinnacle of their career, but also as a highlight of the genre, giving Dissection's Storm of the Light's Bane a serious run for its money.

The band wastes no time by setting the mood with some pointless keyboard intro. No, as soon as you hit play you are welcomed by the violent drumming and the massive, cold tremolo riff of Fog's Kiss. Most songs start out this way but all of them go through several tempo changes, opener Fog's Kiss being a good example with its alternations between blast beats and mid-tempo drumming and a constantly evolving tremolo riff. The songs are incredibly well structured, all consisting of multiple riffs with that one of a kind guitar tone and rhythm patterns that are all seemlessly glued together. Drummer Nicklas Rudolfsson deserves to be mentioned separately, as he does so much more than the usual black or death metal blast beating, sometimes even utilizing drum patterns you wouldn't expect to hear on a metal record. When Night Surrounds Me, besides being one of the best tracks on the album, is a great example of Rudolfsson's subtle yet creative drumwork. Now, the other members of the band are no slouches either and the fact that these guys pulled this off as a threepiece is impressive to say the least.

The production matches the nocturnal, foggy atmosphere evoked by the tremendously drawn album cover; a castle amidst a desolate and cold, misty landscape where not a single ray of sunlight shines through. Some will insist that this sounds too much like Dissection but, though the two bands are obviously similar to one another, Sacramentum are way too good at what they do and do so much more than emulating Dissection's sound. Fans of the aforementioned band, as well as Unanimated or the Swedish Dawn owe it to themselves to check this out immediately. This is an underrated masterpiece of Swedish melodic black metal. To paraphrase the band themselves: Blessed ones, join Sacramentum on their journey and set your sails to their lost realms. You will not regret it.

Killing Songs :
Fog's Kiss, Far Away from the Sun, Blood Shall Be Spilled, Cries from a Restless Soul
Milan quoted 93 / 100
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