Sabbath Assembly – Sabbath Assembly (2015)

As one of the most awaited releases from 2015 (at least for us), today we have Sabbath Assembly and their eponymous fourth release. Moving away from the Process Church theme and influences, the band delivers nine tracks that feature a very distinctive sound that they are now calling 100% their own. For fans of their older style, this will need an expectation adjustment, but the band nicely delivers an unique (but different) experience.

Opening with the angry “Risen From Below”, the band has a very nightmarish style rooted on trippy percussions and the deep vocals of Jamie Myers. The band’s catchiness and ability to create a dark atmosphere is still present in tracks like “Confessing a Murder” and “Ave Satanas”, but they spice it up with a heavy bass guitar line and solid guitar leads.

Tracks like “Burn Me, I Thirst for Fire” and “The Fiery Angel of Desire” mix in some more traditional Heavy Metal elements to their already unique musical palette, creating a very odd mixture of Christian Mistress meets old-school Sabbath Assembly… and we love it. We also enjoy the darker and more psychedelic pieces like “Only You” and the super eerie “Sharp Edge of the Earth” that slowly morphs into a legendary Heavy Metal anthem.

Closing the album in a more ‘Sabbath Assembly” manner, “Apparition of the Revolution” and “Shadows of Emptiness” create a very weird trippy atmosphere that nicely hypnotizes the listener. This last track also feature some very well place violins that give it a more folky/earthy vibe, perfectly complementing Jamie’s sultry voice.

Dave Nuss and Jamie Myers have slowly been transitioning the band’s sound over the years and with this release that features only music of their own they manage to successfully complete their transformation. All tracks in this release are unique and weird in their own way, and we love it because of that. However, any fan of the early Sabbath Assembly might have a harder time adjusting. If you like dark and atmospheric music filled with heavy riffs and trippy percussions, this is one album that should be in your collection.

Label: Svart Records

Release: September 11th, 2015

Genre: Occult Rock / Metal

Country: USA