With just a quick glance of the album art to Sacrilege (Personal Records), metalheads can quickly figure out what they are in for. Richmond, Virginia’s Appalling are back with more blasphemous, blackened death metal. According to legend (or possibly the band’s press release) the music on this album is so evil, that God tried to burn the band’s tour van with the group inside. 

After a brief into track, Appalling hit hard with the second track, ‘Life In Prism’. Vincent Dusk’s vocals are viscous and perfectly blend with the hammering riffs. While the term, blackened death metal is used to describe thousands of bands, Appalling appropriately earns that title on this track. The guitars are perfectly balanced between eerie black metal tremolo picking and big meaty caveman riffs. 

‘Gilded Restraints’ is the strongest track on this recording and the spiraling and dizzying opening riffs are sick as fuck. The drums and vocals pump everything else along the killer guitar melodies.This is one of those songs you find yourself instantaneously headbanging along to without realizing it. 

‘Collection Plate’ is a more standard black metal style affair with haunting guitars, blast-beats and that good ol’ sense of impending doom. The solos on this track are among some of the best on the album. ‘These People Need to Die’ clocking in at almost the eight minute mark, closes the album out. The song’s vocals are a little less harsh but the music is still chock full of killer blast beats and hammering riffs. 

With their ability to switch from death to black metal styles, Appalling showcase their incredible musicianship and manage to keep their output feeling fresh and exciting. If you are looking for something a little darker than what your standard death metal has to offer, be sure to give Sacrilege a spin.

Buy the album here:

https://personal-records.bandcamp.com/album/sacrilege

8 / 10

ANDREW RISCH