Sarcoptes – Prayers to Oblivion Review

If it were only for the guitar riffing intro of “The Trenches” this album “Prayers to Oblivion” would really pay off. After some seconds of complete silence my dear child of the night will have the eardrums blow off by the blastind guitars. It’s been a while since I don’t listen to a such effective intro like this. It’s short, it’s simple, it’s mesmerizing, it’s heavy, it’s dark, it’s gloomy. It’s everything. Things get a little more perfect when the keyboards ask no permission and go introducing their part fulfilling the song totally. Funny to notice that the keyboards don’t take away any inch of power of “The Trenches.” As a matter of fact, they complete the song flawlessly. Everything is done when the eerie and full of despair vocals come. I’ll admit “The Trenches” that is one the best welcoming tracks that I’ve listened in a while. The same power as the great classic Savatage’s “Power of the Night” or Slayer’s “Evil Has No Boundaries.” Its guitar solo is almost perfect.

“Prayers to Oblivion” has an unsual track listing. There are three songs with more than the ten minute length embedded by two of the five minute standard length. It seems to me that Sarcoptes opted for this track listing to give the longer themes a more epic grip leaving the two shorter with the fast and ferocious Black Metal the band does. Second track “Spanish Flu” is as mortal as its tittle. One more case when the tittle of the song speaks for itself leaving to me nothing to comment. “Dead Silence” has those octavated guitars that all Progressive Metal bands love. “Tet” has the hallucinated vocals presented at welcoming track plus a killer wall of sound guitar that leaves no breachs in the song. The kind of liquid guitar that spreads all over the place. There is some kind of Thrash Metal presence in the riffing. Maybe that’s why it sounds so complete. The grand finale “Massacre at My Lai” follows Sarcoptes’ rule as it is as epic as it can be with those strong modal chords AC/DC love so much – right, there’s no AC/DC influence here, only the kind of chords the band uses.

The kind of album all extreme metallers would love to have in their players. Sarcoptes are a band that really know how to use keyboards for the heavyness’ sake. They create a heavier atmosphere giving the gloomy intent the band desires. “Prayers to Oblivion” has everything to be one of the best Black Metal of the year. Just take a look for yourselves.

Sarcoptes “Prayers to Oblivion” will be released on February 24th via Transcending Obscurity Records.

Track Listing:

  1. The Trenches
  2. Spanish Flu
  3. Dead Silence
  4. Tet
  5. Massacre at My Lai

Watch “Spanish Flu” official music video here: