Sauron

Satanic Assassins

Witches Brew 2009

Rawer and more varied than its predecessor, Satanic Assassins is Sauron displaying their penchant for primitive and bestial thrash.  Thrash Assault was very much in debt stylistically to the German trinity but Satanic Assassins has branched out in many different directions from this template.  There are the traditional Anti-poser/METAL/Beer compositions to bookend the album with on Poser Holocaust and Thrash Metal Nightmare.  The former has a tough, street feel and a Teutonic style to it whereas the latter is basically straight ahead, no-frills thrash.  Lords of Slaughter and Warfare has a punk vibe to it that drives the song along at a bouncy pace.  On the opposite end of the spectrum is Storm of Ashes which is an aggressive onslaught very much in line with the South American ferocity of Sarcofago.  The riffs fly out at break-neck speed with lightning fast drumming to provide a skeleton to drape this rotten corpse over.  My favorite track however is Possession with its buzzsaw riffs and frantic tempo.  I love the way the instruments break for Doomy G. to squeal out the song's title, "possession" in a gleefully demented way.  The playing on Satanic Assassins is loose and the production varies slightly from song to song.  Witches Brew has an ear for special thrash bands these days and Sauron is no exception.  On Satanic Assassins, Sauron has captured the vitality and invigoration that true thrash should embody.  Violence and darkness run rampant but their is also a hint of fun and excitement that exists within the music at the same instant.   Sauron has returned with a "Black Magic Thrash Assault!"