Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Sadus - Swallowed in Black (1990)
With good technique comes good progress. Technicality never bores me, but I'm sure it has bored people when it comes to bands that make 15+ minute compositions. Sadus has never done that though. Sure they're technical, but their debut Illusions has super-fast tracks with each side totaled up to that length. With their second album, Swallowed in Black, the exceptional interplay never ceases. Intense aggression is part of their technique!
One of the most obvious aspects of Sadus is the need for speed. Fast riffs and drums speed all around, though they don't surpass the speed of Illusions. It's so good to hear this supersonic chaos, for all this exciting mayhem. Thrash is all about speed and riffs, and the drumming dexterity really fits well with the amazing riffing. Fast extreme solos screech higher and louder than a cat with its tail in a blender, and the bass emphasizes the guitar work a bit. The rhythm guitar, bass, and drums all form a great rhythm section to pummel and kick a**.
From the opening highlight "Black", right there you get to hear the finger-licking bass of Steve Di Giorgio who would later use that talent for his time with Testament. The final minute of that song has some of the d*mn greatest interplay in thrash. H*ll, that song might just take the award as one of the greatest thrash metal hits! "Man Infestation" adds a bit of a spooky sludgy twist in the intro Darren Travis' demented shouting before delivering some more very speedy thrash. Then they add what sounds like many more riffs than Dark Angel's last album in the two-minute "Last Abide". One minute into "The Wake", the band unleashes some of their amazing chemistry. It has waken me up way more than coffee when writing this review in the morning.
"In Your Face" explodes like a grenade blasting away your face, all in just one minute! "Good Rid’nz" provides a complementary mix of riffing and bass, especially at the 3-minute mark. Another killer highlight! Death metal riffing can be found in "False Incarnation" in catchy variation you just gotta hear to believe.
There's less predictable brilliance in the melodic "Images". Then "Powers of Hate" contains some more of the chaotic aggression. The 6-minute highlight "Arise" is a grand showdown of alternating pacing and elaborating riffing, before closing with a doomy ending. This tech-death/thrash epic deserves more attention than Sepultura's album Arise. "Oracle of Omission" is one more compelling technical thrasher.
Please, just listen to this album! It doesn't surpass the awesome Illusions, but there really should be more attention for this album. It's out of print, but it still exists. Get it from a used CD store or YouTube, anywhere!
Favorites: "Black", "The Wake", "Good Rid'nz", "Images", "Arise"