CATHEDRAL — Soul Sacrifice (review)

CATHEDRAL — Soul Sacrifice album cover EP · 1992 · Doom Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
Time Signature
Doom sacrifice...

Genre: (new wave of British) heavy metal / stoner metal / doom metal

"Ethereal Mirror" is typically considered the album where Cathedral start moving away from doom metal and towards stoner metal. However, that journey already starts on the EP "Soul Sacrifice" with its uptempo songs and emphasis on melody.

The two first tracks on "Soul Sacrifice" cannot really be categorized as doom metal songs. The are mostly upbeat songs with riffage that reveal influence from New Wave of British Heavy Metal and Black Sabbath. While "Autumn Twilight" is very much a straight heavy metal song, "Sould Savrifice" is more of a stoner song, making extensive use of blues scales (maybe it's too upbeat to be a stoner song - I don't know).

While the first two tracks are upbeat, "Frozen Rapture" is as doomy as anything can get. It is down-tempo and contains traditional doom metal riffs - and even the uptempo bridge is damn heavy. Interestingly, one of the riffs reminds me of a slowed down Deep Purple - maybe because of the Hammond-simulating keyboards. This is pretty much the epitome of dark doom metal.

"Golden Blood (Flooding)" falls somewhere in between the different styles represented on this album with a feel of physchedelia added to it. It is generally uptempo, but there is a really heavy and doomy, Black Sabbath inspired bridge.

I would recommend this album to fans of heavy music and fans of traditional heavy metal who are interested in hearing a 90s interpretation of the genre. Some doomsters might like it, but hardcore doomsters might find it too upbeat and not doomy enough.
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