A few months ago, cult label Nuclear War Now! Productions hosted their own namesake festival (in conspiracy with noise label Hospital Productions) in Osaka, Japan. The lineup read as a who’s who of underground titans: Beherit (performing a black metal and electronic set, albeit not simultaneously), Blasphemy, Abigail. The list goes on and on. Perhaps most anticipated of all was a 40th anniversary celebration set from Japanese black metal forefathers, Sabbat. As if this career-spanning set wasn’t enough, the band specially released their long awaited 10th studio album, Sabbaticult, in conjunction with the festival.
Knowing the cult-like nature of both Sabbat and NWN, I honestly wondered if I’d ever hear this album without having to shell an arm and a leg on Discogs for one of the limited vinyl copies. Us less fortunate Sabbatmaniacs who couldn’t make NWN! Fest waited, and waited, and waited, and waited some more after that. Now, in June, 2024, 13 years after the masterful Sabbatrinity, Sabbat have unveiled what they claim to be their final studio outing for the whole world to revel in, Sabbaticult. If this truly is it from Gezol and the gang, then boy did they go out with a bang.
I imagine that 40 years makes one nostalgic and reflective, looking back on their achievements with both humility and depth. This is definitely the vibe I get from Sabbaticult which is, for all purposes, a throwback to the first wave blackened thrash savagery of early Sabbat releases Born by Evil Blood (1987) and Desecration (1988). The production is rotten, the riffs are breakneck, the rhythm section is thundering, and the overall aura is that of unadulterated barbarism. Whether it be the hellish onslaught of the opening title cut, diabolical devastation of “Black Metal Tornado”, or underlying Lemmy sanctioned filth of “Sabbatrinity”, Sabbat conjures the true black metal spirit, spitting upon the corpsepainted faces of the trend-hopping false.
Although I was more than content with Sabbaticult not being as traditionally inclined or *ahem* “progressive” as say Karisma (1999) or Satanasword (2000), I also found myself pleasantly thrilled by the inclusion of two traditional songs in the closing “Witches Mountain” and “Kanashibari the Dwelling”. “Witches Mountain” sounds like a lost early Loudness gem, following in the age old Japanese metal tradition of cryptically nefarious arrangement and atmosphere. It sets the stage for the closing epic suite, “Kanashibari the Dwelling”, whose winding twists and chaotic turns expand upon the metallic adventurism of Sabbat’s creative peak.
Sabbat are one of those rare bands without a single dud to their name, every album captivating and alluring in its own unique way. Sabbaticult is no exception, showing the youngsters how its done, as well as perhaps lighting a (black) fire under the asses of some of Sabbat’s peers. Razor-sharp and karismatic (pun fully intended) as ever, Sabbat haven’t let 40 years slow them down in the slightest. The Sabbatrinity of Gezol, Zorugelion, and Ginoir remain poised and ready to strike. Let’s hope they do so for another 40 years to come!
8 out of 10
Label: Nuclear War Now! Productions
Genre: Black/Thrash Metal
For fans of: Abigail, Nifelheim, Destruction