ALBUM REVIEW: Beyond Celestial Echoes – Sacral Rage
Following on from the release of Illusions In Infinite Void, their debut full length record in 2015, SACRAL RAGE are back with their second effort, Beyond Celestial Echoes via Cruz del Sur Music. The band have progressed rapidly since their formation in 2011, with their first EP Deadly Bits of Iron Fragments being released in 2013, as well as a single and demo from their maiden album being released in 2014.
The eight track album begins with an instrumental, Progenitor. The track begins with what sounds very much like the intro to a sci-fi show from the 70s or 80s, giving a retro feel to it as well as an air of wonder and suspense as you wait in anticipation for what is to follow. The last few seconds flow into the second track Eternal Solstice, which continue the space theme through the vocal styles, but it doesn’t take too long for the heavy stuff to really kick in with the bass and guitar picking the pace up to transform the gentle beginning to a speed metal anthem. Dimitris really delivers on the vocals, going from high pitched screams to slow the track down, to the opposite end of the spectrum to regain the speed, and overall delivers a solid opening to the record.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mNasQU34-Y
The space theme will be recurrent throughout the record, and that’s highlighted once again by the following track Vaguely Decoded. The intro starts off very gentle with more of a sci-fi vibe, before the bass slowly picks the pace up again and really notches up the tempo. In terms of the overall sound the recipe is very similar to that of the previous track – it’s fast, hard hitting and really gets you headbanging so ticks a lot of boxes. If it’s even more speed that you’re after, then Suspended Privileges really fills that void. The pace goes up again even more and really sums up what speed metal is all about, and again the vocal range from Marios really adds to the quality of the track.
It’s a shame that there are only eight tracks on the record as SACRAL RAGE are really showing their potential in this second album. There’s enough material to leave you wanting more without getting bored of hearing a similar sound all the way through, and with each one changing slightly from the previous it really keeps you on your toes when listening to it. While there are a number of bands which have followed a similar style over the years before, SACRAL RAGE have been able to put their own style on the genre and it is refreshing to hear new material of this genre in the current rock and metal scene. It is also intriguing to have a sci-fi theme to it, which is more prominent in power metal so hearing it in the form of speed metal really is something out of the box.
On the whole, Beyond Celestial Echoes is a good album. The sound works very well, if you’re a fan of speed metal as a genre or have even delved into thrash metal to a certain extent then it is well worth picking up a copy of the record when it is released, or streaming it when it becomes available.
Rating: 7/10
Beyond Celestial Echoes is out now via Cruz del Sur Music.
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