Accolades for Soul Sacrifice/Statik Majik
This was released during Cathedral 's transitional period, following the seminal doom-album Forest of Equilibrium and preceding the 70s doom freak show that is The Ethereal Mirror .This is still very much doom, but there is a greater tendency towards groove as the metamorphosis takes hold of the musical direction. Whilst it may seem that Cathedral have changed drastically over their long career, it has been a slow process and has never seemed forced. It would have been easy and predictable for them to have rehashed Forest of Equilibrium repeatedly. Whilst this may have pleased doom-purists there were many acts to follow which would more than compensate for the void this band's change in sound and style created. This serves as a reminder that Cathedral was a band on the brink of something new, and that the change would certainly be a rewarding one for those ready and willing to take the ride.
Cathedral's doom heaviness comes out even further on this release, where they leave behind the deadpan heaviness of the past and further develop their musical variation and melodic power. The first track is a new recording of the song by the same name on their Forest of Equilibrium album, done with more energy, but with no less feel on this release. After that three new songs featuring Cathedral's powerful heaviness (reminiscent of Black Sabbath on heavier days) follow, making this almost as extension of the last album which was no lightweight either. If you enjoy the music of Cathedral, a definite recommendation. If you don't know whether or not you want to hear heavy, churning, melodic yet growlish music, this is a safe investment to help you decide.
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