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Holocaustia - "The Sacrament Seed" MCD
(UHR 003)
1. Into the Chamber
2. Sword of Azazel [ MP3 ]
3. The Sacrament Seed
4. Temple of Flesh
5. Gospel Macabre
Reviews:
Unholy Cult
Goddamn I like Black/Thrash Metal. What I especially enjoy, provided the music is played right, is that its disturbingly evil, intoxicatingly headbanging, but mostly devoid of technical wanking, which almost always reeks of an insecure musical big dick contest. Holocaustia is a band whose album 'The Sacrament Seed' is my kind of demonized Black/Thrash attack.
Playing Holocaustia makes it seem like a couple of the devils minions have crawled from the earths guts into my living room for a satanic show. The drums reverberate in wicked double bass rolls, and smartly timed blast beats as they help carry an almost always fast pace. Mid-speed riffing amalgamated with lightening tremolo strumming entwines a sinister trail into your soul. Tight breaks give listeners a quick breath from drowning in hellfire, but the thrash style ostinatos played in chromatic surges like a tank powered by nitrous oxide mashing Christians, crushes your eardrums. Occasional well-placed harmony leads and solos soar thereby bestowing the music with an almost beautiful contemplative ambiance. This aura offsets the hellish fury of the music while making it seem heavier. Pumping the music full of spite are serpentine vocals that gurgle Jesus abhorrence from off a forked tongue.
'The Sacrament Seed' is a 5 song EP. Yet, the Christ hating passion, musical assault, and exceptional arrangements makes it seem like a highly potent virus droplet gone airborne to wreak a pogrom. Holocaustia has definitely made a fan out of this reviewer and I hope to hear more of their blistering music in the future. Embrace evil fuckers… Buy 'The Sacrament Seed.'
- Mike Lidia
Bloodaxe zine
Holocaustia – The Sacrament Seed (Unholy Horde)
As I mentioned in the review of "Tyranny through honour" this band goes beyond the margin of Thrash Metal. Since that particular demo Holocaustia seems to have taken a different road and takes out the heavy artillery on "The sacrament seed". The Thrashing edges have been shaved and exchanged with an injection of violent accuracy. Accuracy, because of the technically outstanding manic stream of aggression, tight as a virgin's ass. Most credits go to 'Temple of flesh', the morbidity of slow parts mixed up with the suffocating speed just cranks up my spine. Absolutely shivering! Not that the demo was bad, but this band has grown so immensely and obviously I didn't expect "The sacrament seed" to be this GROTESQUE (not the band!)!. Apparently there is room in Black Metal for positive surprises and if Holocaustia continues this way this promises to be one of the best things that happened to the genre in a while. A mandatory purchase!
Panzerfaust Magazine (Poland)
HOLOCAUSTIA - The Sacrament Seed (UNHOLY HORDE Records - MCD 2005)
This material was recorded already in August 2004, but thanks to some shit that happened, it's released just now. Anyway, it was worth of waiting, because musically HOLOCAUSTIA delivers music I like a lot. Yeah, this is what I expect from great metal band!!! To call it as simply as it's possible let me name this style as fast, little bit old school black metal. Basically the whole compositions are rather simple, but not in primitive way, you know... HOLOCAUSTIA won't surprise you with technical riffs, complex arrangements or whatever shit, but also won't disturb with amateurish, "I know just three riffs" playing. That's not what's important in this music. Instead "The Sacrament Seed" has brilliant, catchy, but totally aggressive, furious riffs, massacring fast tempos (which dominates the stuff, but often HOLOCAUSTIA also comes with great mid paced fragments), impressive blasting of the drums, rabid vokills... Those Swedes have cool ideas, picked up the most killer riffs they've invented and it all results in fantastic MCD. Just listen to it and feel the atmosphere, nuclear devastation which comes with it!!! Also, I really like the production of "The Sacrament Seed". It's raw and dirty, but at the same time clear, so you won't have to imagine the riffs, but just listen to them... And that sound is very natural, especially the drums. It's not over produced, it's very underground, but quality, if you want to know. Actually, it reminds me the recordings from NECROMORBUS. And musically HOLOCAUSTIA reminds me FUNERAL MIST, let's say from their "Havoc" demo. I have that impression, when I listen to those ultra fast, neckbreaking tempos, some specific breaks, vocals' arrangements... So, definitely I worship such music and this stuff is brilliant. Just listen to such killers like the title track or maybe "Temple of Flesh"... Definitely it will devastate and desecrate!
P666..............................................................90
Myrrthronth
The comparisons are mostly vague and imprecise, however, the basic features of Holocaustia's new cd leave Watain inevitably as the ultimate conclusion. The unorthodox lyrics could also come from the extensively touring trio in particular the almost identic use of the vocals. Though the very nice riffing - stylistically located between rude thrash and raw black stuff - they stand in sharp contrast to their evident examples. Simple, impressive settings, often emerging in the last two pieces "Temple Of Flesh" and "Gospel Macabre" are interestingly arranged by varying rhythms, otherwise they focus on catchyness without one single compromise. Hammering forwards, the chorus is screamed at the microphone tirelessly and the drum kit is beaten up so unerringly that it makes it not very hard to love the semen of sacrament set to music. Also the pleasantly short playing time of 21 minutes indicates that material has been selected with quality rather than quantity in mind. It could be dangerous for the crowd's neck muscles when played live. I would be happy if they could be persuaded to engage in some stage activity, Holocaustia certainly do have warm up potential, maybe more.
"The Sacrament Seed" is certainly not a lost investment, if rawer material is part of the usual diet. For the reasons mentioned above, I recommend this piece warmly to fans of Watain. The indecisive I want to advise to download the Opener "Into The Chamber" from Holocaustia's internet portal. Little piece of advice: Mind the harder pieces of furniture if you happen to get carried away. 8/10
Amicus
Blood of the Ancient zine
Hell, the evil necroslaughters of HOLOCAUSTIA have returned! And yes,'The Sacrament Seed' is definitely a fist in the face of all those wannabes around in the Black Metal scene. This Swedish horde forges their steel without the use of "gayboards" and female vocals. Instead pure slaughterization rules on these five songs that remind me very much of killer acts like i.e. WATAIN, DIABOLICUM or MALIGN (although HOLOCAUSTIA's music is not as slow). And no, the two-piece didn't visit the NECROMORBUS STUDIO but the FULLMOON STUDIOS instead in order to get a pure and filthy production that mustn't hide behind the sound of the "big ones", hehe… What I definitely like concerning HOLOCAUSTIA is the fact that there are often old Thrash/Death riffs and rhythms involved as well, so everything sounds also like a "Black Metal version" of SUICIDAL WINDS or TERRORAMA to me. Yeah, in a certain way there are even some parallels to BESTIAL MOCKERY, but 'The Sacrament Seed' offers not as simple and straight stuff. All in all, you should check this MCD out, the Scandinavian two-piece is definitely worth to be hailed! – Did I say "two-piece"? – Don't mind, there's no drum-computer on this record but a human studio drummer instead…!
CHRISTIAN WACHTER
Franang zine
"The Sacrament…" Mini CD starts with a pretty cool and happy techno riff you can dance on, then all of a sudden a nice girl vocals is brining you to the land of dreams… Hu ??? What's that joke ? No way, Holocausta plays a fucking crushing and brutal blackened Black/Death Metal, in the very same way than Suicidal Winds. Their 5 tracks are really chaotic Metal from Hell, combining the brutality of the drumming, with the angel ripping of chainsaws. Just get into the 1st tune, "Into The Chamber" then you immediately understand these lads are not joking with their music, they have a tight way of playing, melted with haunting vocals. Obviously this band has the typical Swedish trade mark, which means a properly recorded mini album.
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