Considering I started this webzine at the early age of 21, it became a regular occurrence to hear veteran 70s and 80s artists remark mid-interview how young I am, which in all truthfulness, I am. Despite having been in this music/scene for 15 years, to somebody that’s in their 50s, 60s, or even 70s, I am a child. However, the tables have now turned. When I first heard the hype about Swedish blackened thrashers Atonement, it was over how faithfully they captured that evil 80s first wave sound. Then I found out all 3 members are roughly 16-17 years old.
This revelation shouldn’t be the biggest shock in the world, especially when we consider how young our favorite bands of this era were when recording their debut albums. At 21, Cliff Burton was the oldest member of Metallica when they recorded Kill ‘Em All, the rest being 20 (Kirk Hammett), 19 (James Hetfield), and 18 (Lars Ulrich) respectively. Quorthon was 18 when he recorded Bathory’s debut. Hell, the members of Kreator were so young when they recorded Endless Pain, their parents needed to sign their record deal for it to subsequently be released. The list goes on.
In this tradition, Atonement follows with their debut assault, Sadistic Invaders. Even within the context of black/thrash, it isn’t the most refined or memorable outing. It is, however, a display of potential from a band who’s deadly serious about infernal thrashing, and it shows. The riffs on this album largely channel the chaotic spirit of early Sodom, specifically those on In the Sign of Evil (1985) and Obsessed by Cruelty (1986). This is further emboldened by the raw, punkish, take no prisoners aggression of Bathory’s self titled debut, Slayer’s Show No Mercy, the aforementioned Kill ‘Em All, and more.
For the most part, Sadistic Invaders goes one speed, and that’s full speed. Cuts like “Hellish Delight”, “Fatal Militia”, and “Evil Disaster” are neck-snapper heaven, laying the listener to waste with a barrage of blackened machine gun riffs at maximum overdrive. Perhaps modern day Kreator could take a note or two! Considering Atonement’s knack for this old school formula, many of the songs follow in this template and start to blur into another. There are some exceptions. The mosh breakdowns on “Lust for Sin” and “Unholy Sorcery” hit hard, while the Venom inspired “Await the Command” proves these kids know how to rock. However, at the end of the day, this is a meat and potatoes black/thrash album.
Atonement have a long way to the top of the black/thrash pantheon, but this first attempt at high speed savagery is nothing to shrug off. As stated earlier, these youngsters show great potential and can only go up from here. With just enough finetuning, but not enough to completely deviate their course, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be tearing up festival stages and gracing the jackets of thrashers in the near future. Until then, surrender to these Sadistic Invaders and let them pummel your eardrums with the unrelenting power of wicked speed.
6 out of 10
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Genre: Black/Thrash Metal
For fans of: Sodom, Kreator, Bathory