Sammath
Godless Arrogance

March 2014
Released: 2014, Hammerheart Records
Rating: 4.0/5
Reviewer: Metal-Rules.com UK Team

Sammath are a Dutch black metal band formed in 1994, they have released 4 albums all on Germany’s Folter records. This, their fifth full-length is also the first for the much-revered Hammerheart label. What is served up here is a vicious, feral feat of pure black metal.



The first track, Shot In Mass is very much a statement of intent, with Kruitwagen screaming as if the world is about to implode around him. The turmoil which is served up from hereon in is pretty relentless, with Through Filth and the Remains of Man having the only slight let up to this pace in the mid-section. However the band set themselves apart from many of their peers by going for what is, comparatively speaking very much a defined production job, each instrument is allowed more room to breathe and shine through.



Indeed one of my favourite parts of the album is the scuzzy bass sound which is especially evident on closing track, Nineteen Corpses Hanging in the Mist. This for me does not detract from the cold frostbitten feel of the album but, rather leads to a more rounded sound with the listener being allowed to hear exactly where each instrument is in the mix. It does give some of the riffs on the album an almost old school death metal feel, especially on the main riff to penultimate track, Death (Hunt Them Down).



I guess this might turn some purists off the album but to me it just adds another dimension to it. What the production doesn’t do, however is to ever detract from the ferocity of the playing, indeed the chaotic nature of this album is part of its charm. This is unpretentiously a nasty, misanthropic piece of black metal with enough originality and chops to rise above the majority of black metal releases.



Review by Scrios

Sammath
Godless Arrogance

April 2014
Released: 2014, Hammerheart Records
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Metal-Rules.com UK Team

Sammath began crafting their sound around 1994, combining the most deadly aesthetics of Death, Speed and Thrash Metal. Their upcoming release Godless Arrogance is set to raise the bar even higher for these guys as they venture toward their most vicious frontier yet.



‘Shot In A Mass’ erupts in full fronted rage, with thunderous drums, high pitched shrieks and dissonant guitars. The band disregard any form of melody as they plough through with a procession of agonizing vocals and droning riffs.



Following in a similar vein, ‘Fear Upon Them’ sprays wildly out of control with sinister guitar work and speedy drums that keep the adrenaline running high. Meanwhile the demonic sounding ‘Thrive In Arrogance’ lunges deeper into the band’s bloody sound with an all out drum assault on the senses.



The duration of the record pulls upon many of the aforementioned qualities with strong speed metal influences and black metal rasps. ‘Through Filth and The Remains Of Man’ charges forward with a barbaric force, and remains one of the records highest points.



Closing with the visceral ‘Nineteen Corpses Hang In The Mist’ the vocals display a broad range of banshee led wails and deep throated growls. The filth stained riffs and brooding bass provide extra weight as Sammath crank everything up on the highest order with their final offering of the record.



This may not be the most revolutionary piece of music out there and it certainly doesn’t explore anything that hasn’t already been done by other bands but what makes this record worth your time is the unyielding chaos it evokes which will no doubt have fans of the more extreme subgenres of the Metal world uniting under the beast that is Sammath. Great work guys.



Review by Ben Spencer