If you’ve ever found yourself gnashing your teeth in anguish over the less than prolific nature of bands like Blasphemophagher, Proclamation and Blasphemy, you can send Nuclear War Now! Records a nice thank-you note for recently releasing a forgotten relic of the unholy past in long gone Canadian band Antichrist’s sole album Sacrament of Blood.  As near as I can tell, Antichrist  existed for a handful of short years in the early nineties, and under the tutelage of the aforementioned purveyors of the wicked: Blasphemy, the youngsters spit forth an ahead of its time onslaught of Black Death that’s since become quite popular amongst fans of the most barbaric arm of the underground.  And while Sacrament of Blood isn’t, to be honest,  any better than any of the more well known and current bands of this style, it satiates well as a side road of evil between releases by the big timers.

Bursting at the seams with the requisite warring blasts of hell, Sacrament of Blood feels much more recent than it evidently is, and as such it seems to have been proven to possess an impressive power to hold up over the years and it’s very easy to forget that it was initially recorded so long ago.  It’s enjoyable to hear the band stray from time to time from the walls of sheer blasting so common to this type of metal.  On “Crucified in Flames” and “Severed Goat’s Head”, Antichrist opens up the sound a bit, letting a thrashier element enter the fray, creating a more varied approach to the style than some, and the 26 second “Bloody Vomit” actually flirts close to Grind territory.  Evidence of the youth of the band certainly manifests itself in the somewhat juvenile song titles and almost comically bad cover art, but for a quick, dirty, evil little slice of ancient history, Sacrament of Blood never lets the novelty of its unearthing overpower its anything but novel attack.

TRACK LISTING

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*Comments:

1.  Sacrament of Blood
2.  Chopped and Chewed
3.  Unholy Devourment
4.  Bestial Sacrifice
5.  Crucified in Flames
6.  Severed Goat’s Head
7.  Vaginal Blood Feast
8.  Bloody Vomit
9.  His Majesty Commands
10.  Antichrist
11.  Burning Crosses

Total playing time:  35:16

Release Date: August 22, 2011
Label: Nuclear War Now! Productions

Antichrist - Sacrament of Blood

Reviewer: J. A. Burt

October 17, 2011