UMUR "The Shadow Inside" is the sixth full-length studio album by US, California based thrash metal act Sadus. The album was released through Nuclear Blast in November 2023. It´s the successor to "Out for Blood" from 2006 and there´s been a significant lineup change since the predecessor as bassist and founding member Steve DiGiorgio opted not to reunite with drummer Jon Allen and lead vocalist/guitarist Darren Travis for the recording of "The Shadow Inside", and as a consequence the latter has recorded the bass parts on the album.

Sadus were a pretty prolific act on the brutal and technical thrash metal scene of the late 80s/early 90s but since they released "Elements of Anger" in 1997 only two studio albums (including this one) have come out of their camp and it´s hard not to think of them as a hobby project these days. Even DiGiorgio who always fought hard for the survival of the band has now jumped ship (probably as a consequence of his commitments to his day job in Testament). Hobby projects don´t have to be sloppy projects though, and although Sadus haven´t exactly toured the world lately or made much of a fuzz about themselves, they still have a legacy and a fanbase who are excited that a new album has arrived.

Stylistically this is the core aggressive thrash metal sound of Sadus, but there are a few changes which need to be mentioned. First of all it´s of course noticeable that DiGiorgio isn´t performing on "The Shadow Inside". His unique and dominant bass playing has always been a key element of Sadus sound, and it´s a bit odd to hear a Sadus album without it. Travis has opted for a more normal way of playing bass and while there´s nothing wrong with the bass parts, they aren´t as unique as before or add anything special to the soundscape. Another feature which is different from earlier releases is the drum tone. Allen always had a natural organic tone but on "The Shadow Inside" the drum tone is more cold and sterile sounding.

When you adjust to those changes the material on "The Shadow Inside" is still unmistakably the sound of Sadus, with sharp, aggressive, heavy thrash metal riffs and rhythms, occasionally faster-paced parts, and Travis sandpaper raw snarling vocals in front. The frenetic high-speed playing of the first couple of releases were already lessened on the mid-90s albums, so it´s not surprising that the pace on "The Shadow Inside" is predominantly mid-tempo and heavy, but Sadus still pack a punch and deliver some crushingly heavy tunes.

There´s no revolution of sound or style on "The Shadow Inside", and of course most listeners will miss DiGiorgio´s busy fretless bass playing, but when all is said and done this is still a good quality release and it´s great to know that Sadus still exist. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Out for Blood" is the 5th full-length studio album by US, California based thrash metal act Sadus. The album was released through Mascot Records in February 2006. It features the same lineup, who recorded "Elements of Anger" from 1997 in Darren Travis (guitar, vocals), Steve DiGiorgio (bass, keyboards), and Jon Allen (drums). While 9 years is definitely a long time between album releases, some of the members of the lineup have kept really busy in the intermediate years. Both Drummer Jon Allen and bassist Steve DiGiorgio worked with Testament guitarist Eric Peterson on the Dragonlord black metal project, and DiGiorgio also worked as a session musician on several other projects in those years, including Testament, Control Denied, and Iced Earth (...among others). It seemed at this point that Sadus had become more of a project to the members than a full-time band, and it probably had a lot to do with their lack of commercial success and recognition. The former is not so strange given the relatively extreme nature of the band´s music, but it´s a real shame that they were only ever able to gather a rather small cult following, because the quality of their music has always been pretty high. Sadus are certainly one of those acts who didn´t get what they deserved.

Stylistically the material on "Out for Blood" continues the aggressive and technically well played thrash metal style of "Elements of Anger (1997)". There is good rhythmic variation on the album, so there are both furiously fast-paced thrash metal parts, as well as both slow- and mid-paced grooves in the music (although the latter style is more dominant here). "Elements of Anger (1997)" was quite an atmospheric release too, and while "Out for Blood" is generally not as atmospheric, there are a couple of atmospheric moments on the album (sometimes the subtle use of keyboards/synths provide that), which is great for the variation of the music. Darren Travis sounds as angry as ever, and his distinct sounding snarling vocal style is one of the great assets of Sadus music. He can go from a deep growl to an almost hysterical sounding screaming vocal style in seconds. Mostly he just sounds pissed off and ready to bite your head off.

"Out for Blood" features a powerful, raw, and detailed sound production, which suits the material perfectly. DiGiorgio´s busy bass is as always placed high in the mix, and it works well and is one of the features of the band´s music which gives Sadus their unique sound. The sharp riffs and powerful organic drumming are worth a mention too. Sadus are a band with a clearly defined sound, and although they´ve developed that sound considerably throughout the years, it´s still unmistakably the sound of Sadus no matter which of their albums you put on. "Out for Blood" overall follows the more groove oriented and heavy direction of it´s predecessor rather than the furiously fast-paced and aggressive direction of the band´s early releases, but that´s only natural if you´ve followed their musical development.

So "Out for Blood" is another high quality release by Sadus, where they continue to develop their trademark sound while still staying true to their roots. Like most of Sadus releases before it, "Out for Blood" went by largely unnoticed and was probably only picked up by their dedicated cult following, so I´m here to advertise that if you´re a fan of technically well played and aggressive thrash metal with a unique sound and pretty good diversity in the songwriting department, "Out for Blood" is worth your time and money. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Elements of Anger" is the 4th full-length studio album by US, California based thrash metal act Sadus. The album was released through Mascot Records in September 1997. Sadus were without a label after their deal with Roadrunner Records ended, and released the "Red Demo" in 1994 to shop for a new label. It would be three long years in addition to the two that had already passed since the release of "A Vision of Misery (1992)" (the band´s third full-length studio album) before the band was signed to Mascot Records for the release of "Elements of Anger (1997)". There´s been one lineup change since the release of "A Vision of Misery (1992)", as guitarist Rob Moore has jumped ship, leaving Sadus a three-piece consisting of Darren Travis (guitar, vocals), Steve DiGiorgio (bass, keyboards), and Jon Allen (drums).

Stylistically "Elements of Anger" continues the slightly more mature and varied thrash metal style of "A Vision of Misery (1992)", and while Sadus have not completely forgotten their furiously fast-paced and aggressive past, they generally play a more heavy type of thrash metal, and the diversity of their music has also increased a lot since the early days of raging ferocity. Sadus include quite a few atmospheric parts on the album too, so "Elements of Anger" is overall a relatively varied release. When Sadus play the most atmospheric parts they sometimes remind me of Coroner on "Grin (1993)". There´s the same bleak atmosphere about the music on "Elements of Anger".

This is still Sadus though, and as always we´re treated to Darren Travis distinct sounding piercing screaming raw vocals and his impressive technical guitar playing, Steve DiGiorgio´s high in the mix busy bass playing, and Jon Allen powerful organic drumming. The musicianship is on a very high level, and there are several jaw-dropping moments of technical bliss on the album, but the technical playing is a means to an end, and not the primary focus of Sadus music.

"Elements of Anger" features a powerful, detailed, and raw sounding production, which suits the material perfectly. As mentioned above the bass is placed high in the mix, but that´s a Sadus trademark by now, and one of the things which make them stand out, so no surprises there. Upon conclusion "Elements of Anger" is another high quality release by Sadus, and yet another step forward in their development as composers and musicians. A few fans of the older material may miss the non stop aggression of the early releases, but to those listeners, who enjoy their thrash metal with a bit more variation and atmospheric moments, "Elements of Anger" is definitely a recommendable release. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Red Demo" is a demo release by US, California based thrash metal act Sadus. The original cassette tape demo was self-released in 1994. It was the last release by the band to feature guitarist Rob Moore. Despite having released three albums at this point, and being a relatively well known name in thrash and extreme metal circles, Sadus were without a label after their deal with Roadrunner Records ended. Thus the need for releasing a demo to shop for a new label. It would be three long years in addition to the two that had already passed since the release of "A Vision of Misery (1992)" (the band´s third full-length studio album) before the band were signed to Mascot Records for the release of "Elements of Anger (1997)".

"Red Demo" features 4 tracks and a full playing time of 15:14 minutes. "In the End", "Power of One", and "Fuel", would appear on "Elements of Anger (1997)" in re-recorded versions, while it wouldn´t be until 2006 with the release of "Out for Blood", that "Black March" would appear on a studio album (also in a re-recorded version), albeit only as a bonus track.

The material is in the trademark aggressive thrash metal style that Sadus have played since day one. It´s a bit more mature and varied than the first couple of releases by the band, but the core style is intact. The quality of the material is relatively high and the sound production is decent too, so all in all "Red Demo" is a fairly good quality demo release, and it serves it´s purpose well, which is shopping for a new label. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "A Vision of Misery" is the 3rd full-length studio album by US, California based thrash metal act Sadus. The album was released through Roadrunner Records in March 1992. It´s the successor to "Swallowed in Black" from 1990. Sadus had been relatively successful with "Swallowed in Black (1990)", but gained even further notice from the metal scene when bassist Steve DiGiorgio was asked to join the recording lineup of the groundbreaking "Human (1991)" album by Death. After finishing up his work with Schuldiner and co., he was back in Sadus for the recording of "A Vision of Misery".

Stylistically the music on "A Vision of Misery" continues the furiously fast-paced, aggressive, and technically well played thrash metal style of "Swallowed in Black (1990)" (albeit with quite a few more mid-paced sections than before). It´s slightly less frenetic this time around though, and there is a bit more sophistication to the songwriting too. The guitar solos are for example a bit more memorable than on the predecessor and occasionally even feature a hint of melody. The tracks also feature more catchy hooks, although it wouldn´t exactly be the truth calling this accessible music. This is still first and foremost very aggressive thrash metal played with great technical skill. In other words, it´s unmistakably the sound of Sadus. They are branching out a bit though and tracks like "Machines" and "Deceptive Perceptions" show a side of them we haven´t heard on the preceding releases. A less aggressive, more atmospheric and varied side.

As mentioned the musicianship is on a high technical level. Sadus are a really well playing act, from the pounding aggressive drumming, to the razor sharp fast-paced guitar riffs, to the rapid dog snarl of the vocals, to the fretless bass playing. Everything is delivered with tight precision yet with great organic sensibility. The well sounding production follows suit. It´s raw, organic, and powerful sounding. Quite a bit more detailed than the sound on the predecessor, and upon conclusion "A Vision of Misery" is a step up from the previous releases by the band. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.