How come they aren't considered a seminal band in the thrash and death metal genres? I hear a ton of their influence in the early Florida DM bands, particularly Atheist [Piece of Time could've easily been a follow-up to Chemical Exposure/Illusions]. Yet they seem to always get lost in the mix of those proto-death metal bands.

I like them a lot. I just re-purchased Chemical Exposure (Illusions) last week, actually. Really cool band.

I agree, they're sorta underrated, I think. They dont get talked about enough. Chemical Exposure and Swallowed In Black are both top notch thrash albums.

Raise your hand if you've had the pleasure of seeing Sadus live (and bruised a rib in the process)!



That's what I thought.

Sadus is awesome; their early albums are top-notch, with Swallowed in Black being one of the finest, most vicious albums in all of metal.

Top notch tech thrash. I don't listen to them as often as I should, but I'm always really digging the brutal riffs and spiffy bass work when I do.

I find A Vision of Misery to be identical to what I would imagine a second incarnation of Unquestionable Presence to sound like. I draw several parallels between Sadus and their more revered contemporaries.

So who has listened to Out For Blood? Is it as much of an abomination as I've been told?

One weird thing I've noticed too is how Sadus often seem to get written off very early in their career. A Vision of Misery is definitely in the same league as their earlier work, as far as quality goes, yet people fawn over their early material and forget the rest. I've had the album for a long time, and I still like it. Hell, I like Elements of Anger too, which isn't as good but not as bad as people's utter indifference to the album makes it seem.

They were gradually losing their viciousness and gaining technicality which I imagine wasn't much to the liking of their fans. I definitely enjoyed the early, vicious, intense and manically violent death/thrash they made. Especially the Death to Posers-demo is unmatched in those terms.

I bought it at the show when I saw them because it was the only album they had for sale, and yeah, it's pretty shitty. There are a couple classic thrashers on it, so hopefully the band is not beyond redemption, but for the most part, the album is, as someone here once put it oh-so-tastefully some time ago, "The new Sadus sounds like fucking wrestling music."

Sadus are brilliant. Criminally under-rated as an influence on thrash/death. But yeah, their latest was crap-tastic.

To answer the original question, I reckon it was a mixture of releasing their debut album a smudge too late, and poor promotion. I'm just guessing, but that could be what it was.


I downloaded that album, but it didn't strike me much. It wasn't terrible, but nothing I'd possibly listen to again.

my first thoughts about sadus were negative being Out for Blood the first album i heard from them but later i would get chemical exposure and it changed everything, i dont know why the hell i chose to listen to their last album, though

I like all their albums except "Out For Blood." "Elements of Anger" is definitely a lesser work compared to their earlier stuff, though.

Yessir. Fantastic band, a favorite of mine. I was playing Illusions earlier...

I think Sadus is great, especially Chemical Exposure. Steve DiGorgio does a real nice work with his bass in Sadus, which gives the band a bit more originial touch.

Sadus is one of my favorite thrash bands. Everything about the band (excluding Out for Blood) is simply amazing. The vocals are great, the guitars are brutal and the bass is obviously Digiorgio.

I thought they were considered seminal. At least, that was one of the first bands I heard of when I was starting my thrash collection.

Extremely vicious yet technically accomplished band, in my opinion they got lost in between the newer (and perhaps slightly watered down) waves of thrash from their hometown and of course the Floridan death metal scene.

great band. I feel like a chump for selling their albums.

Death To Posers [Demo], Chemical Exposures, Swallowed In Black and Elements Of Anger are some top notch deathrash records. I do agree, they did get lost within the waves of thrash and death metal. I'm not really sure how, though. Talk about taking technical mastery to the next logical extreme. I kind of wish they would have recovered from Out For Blood. I actually don't think that record is particularly bad, though it's certainly not overly memorable or groundbreaking.



The metal gods would like a word with you.

Ridiculously great band. Chemical Exposure is mandatory.

Best explanation I've heard, but you'd think a band as great as Sadus would get more recognition. It's a shame.

Steve DiGorgio rules the bass too.

I've only heard Swallowed in Black, but it's definitely one of my favorite thrash albums.

Everyone is saying that Chemical Exposure is essential. I'll have to look into that one.

Got into them like 3 years ago when I saw Chuck Schuldiner wearing a Sadus shirt in the Leprosy booklet. Been a fan of them ever since. It's amazing how intense they can get at times. Illusions rivals Darkness Descends in terms of thrash intensity.

I'm a hardcore Sadus fan, yet I hate anything overly "techy". The reason I love them is because of their knack for writing technically mindblowing, yet very catchy riffs. Their tremolo-picked rhythms BURN.

They are also pretty damn fast and intense, something I believe to be essential in thrash metal. DTP and their first three albums are awesome, Elements of Anger is boring and their latest is craptacular. Chemical Exposure is almost absurd in its intensity, laughs at mid-era Slayer and gives Darkness Descends a run for its money.

Oh, yes, and prime Steve Di Giorgio on bass (mainly in "Swallowed in Black" doesn't hurt too).

It totally destroys DD in terms of thrash intensity. Maybe not in tempo, but it sounds far more intense and on edge than DD. Honestly, I think that majority of Leaves Scars is more intense, if slower than DD.

Not many albums as viscous as Chemical Exposure.

I don't know why they get overlooked, in regards to their contribution to early death/thrash (they were certainly cutting edge, for the mid/late 80s). However, I do know that I like them a lot and that I must listen to them more, considering that I have their first three albums now.

So far, I'm most impressed with Chemical Exposure (Illusions) but really like what I've heard off all the albums I own, by the band.

Not trying to nit-pick, but I think you meant vicious and not viscous. That would be a very odd word choice...

Itsalways with bands like this that I realise how much of a fucking noob |I am when it comes to metal, I've only vaugely heard of them before now

I'll take some reccomendations though, if you've got them.

First three are generally regarded as the best. Of those three, the first two seem to be held in highest regard. And of the first two, the debut is most revered.

Normally the way with bands really...

Personally though I'd recommend "Swallowed in Black" over "Illusions." It's very slightly more accessible and very slightly less frantic - I think it's their best work.

Well, it's entirely opinion. I was just stating what I have observed to be the general consensus.

Also: Yay! 1000 posts!

How's the production on Illusions (Chemical Exposure)? I found 2 different versions on amazon, the normal one, and a remaster. They're both the same price, so I'm wondering which one to buy.

I want to thank you guys for bringing up this thread.As of recently I've been drifting away form alot of thrash and deathmetal but I have a feeling most of their catalog would be worth checking out.
From what I remember the vocals were a bit more on the raspy side?I'm much more into that kind of deathmetal vocals.

again, why was I quoted in your sig?

The one you have labeled as "the normal one," is actually a re-release, from Metal Minds Productions.

Ok. Decided to buy that one though, more music for the same amount of cash!:D