UMUR
"Crematory" is the debut full-length studio album by Slovenian thrash metal act Sarcasm. The album was originally a self-released affair that came out in 1989 on cassette tape. It has since seen a re-release on vinyl through Nuclear War Now! Productions.
The music on the album is technically well played thrash metal with a great melodic flair. Especially the guitars play some very melodic themes and harmonies throughout the album. The music is still very effective and raw though, so while there is great focus on melody, this is still thrash metal with pounding fast rythms, thrashy riffing, and a staccato singing lead vocalist (with the occasional melodic songline thrown in). Occasionally late eighties/early nineties Kreator isn´t completely wrong as a reference, but Sarcasm bring in more traditional heavy metal and speed metal elements to their sound than the Germans to warrant a real comparison.
The band was formed in 1987, but despite not playing together for more than a couple of years, the musicianship on the album is very strong. Lead vocalist Osim Čehić has a rather distinct sounding voice, that might be an aquired taste, but the rest of the guys in the band are very tight playing and Sarcasm overall comes off as a very professional sounding unit. The fact that "Crematory" features a very well sounding and professional production, only further enhances that impression. Sarcasm are not the most original sounding act though and that might be a slight issue to some. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.