THE SANITY DAYS - Evil Beyond Belief

April 1, 2015, 8 years ago

(Candlelight)

Mark Gromen

Rating: 6.0

review heavy metal the sanity days

THE SANITY DAYS - Evil Beyond Belief

Conceived as a resurrection of the In Search Of Sanity-era line-up for Onslaught, vocalist Steve (Grim Reaper) Grimmett and drummer Steve Grice joined forces with Al Jordan, who played alongside Grice in Onslaught's '07 reunion that spawned the Killing Peace album. As most 'Slaught-erites will confirm, Grimmett's tenure at the mic isn't considered a “proper” album in their catalog, hence the current euphemism, The Sanity Days.

The disc begins with a 1:06 spoken word intro, a child relating the needs of Charlie the ghost, who is the impetus for “Charlie”, the first of nine proper tunes. While there is no 12-minute doozie this time around, the songs are lengthy, “My Demon Mind” being the shortest, at 5:05 and a pair eclipsing the eight minute barrier. Like its time (dis)honored partner, Evil Beyond Belief is not a slamming thrasher (despite the Onslaught pedigree), but a more polished/reserved (some might say 'plodding') endeavor. The closing “Firestorm” is a noticeable exception. That's not to say it's easy listening (can't be with Grimmett's raspy voice), but mid-tempo is the word, throughout. In fact, “Ruler Of Eternity” and the aforementioned “My Demon Mind” showcase a heavy dose of Sabbathy doom. “Broken Wings” is a jangly, minimalist ballad, while the conclusion of the title track dips into instrumental jazz territory, with sporadic drum notes and an airy guitar. On the positive side, “Satan's Blood” and “My Last Words” briefly recall yesterday, albeit Metal Church (with Mike Howe), rather than the Brits' own history. Could/should have been so much more!



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