Black Up Your Soul...

Formed in 1983, the same year as Bathory, and initially performing under the moniker Evil, until changing name the next year, Sabbat's roots go back to the days when black metal was just the name of a Venom album. Venom were and continue to be a big inspiration for Sabbat, but they quickly moved beyond aping the Newcastle lads, into harsher, more evil territory, mirroring the path taken by the better known bands of the first wave, while retaining an identity all their own. Though not as influential to the genre in those early days (a fact I suspect is primarily due to location and not releasing a full-length until 1991), their music was always equal in quality to the big names. In fact, they beat those bands when it comes to consistency, which is quite the feat considering how voluminous their output is. These days, Sabbat's excellence is common knowledge to those in the know, with numerous tribute albums and bassist/vocalist Gezol receiving the honor of having a Darkthrone song dedicated to him ("I Am the Graves of the 80s" from Circle the Wagons which has lyrics based on the Gezol quote, “Too much black, too little metal”). For those who have yet to give the band a shot, it's daunting to choose a starting point. Even eliminating demos, splits, singles, EPs, live albums and most comps, you're left with nine LPs and at least six great compilations.

Black Up Your Soul is a fine place to dip your toes in. Made to celebrate their tenth anniversary this collection of songs sees the band in top form, flouting the convention of re-recorded material being disposable at best. It's also a primer on the style of metal they were producing at this point in their career. The songs are selected from their EPs, demos and singles of the 80s, and recorded with the instrumentation and production of their early to mid-90s albums. That means a sharper, fuller production, but not one marred by glossy sterility. Part of the fullness is due to the bass which has unusually high distortion, creating a backdrop like the scalding rainfall of Hell. Through this haze, Gezol still gives his lines definition, with notes bobbing and weaving around the beat, often in patterns more complex than they first seem. His vocals are delivered in a low growl rather than the yells of the original versions, which gives it a blacker edge at the cost of clarity, though enunciation was never his strong point. Additional vocals are provided by Temis Osmond who squalls with a fevered intensity. If Gezol is a demon, Osmond is the mad cultist who summoned him.

Vocals are the least of Osmond's contributions, as he's been the band's axeman on all of their LPs aside from 2011's Sabbatrinity. He was not in the band when most of these songs were composed, yet plays with such verve he doesn't merely make them his own; it's as if they were his all along. Sabbat's riffs have always been rooted in the era the band formed in, having more in common with Judas Priest than Judas Iscariot. Even the “thrash” part in “black/thrash” is misleading as much of their sound is closer to the leaner, less belligerent riffing of speed metal. Some parts conjure direct comparisons: “Welcome to Sabbat” features a trilling section that would sound at home on Court in the Act; the latter half of “Rage of Mountains” has guitar leads reminiscent of Glenn Tipton. Their music not only evokes Satan the band, but also Satan the demonic entity. Individual parts may draw from trad, speed, NWOBHM, thrash, black, death, doom and even punk, but it's all unified in an aura of darkness. Compared to the original recordings, this darkness is emphasized by the production and performances.

Zorugelion also wasn't present when most of these songs were originally recorded, but his drumming fits as naturally as Osmond's guitar work. Taking a more musical approach than the relentless violence that has become genre standard, his nimble footwork and rocking rhythms offer a lot to love. Take the pounding fills under the solo in “Rage of Mountains”, or the bass-drum roll near the end of “Darkness and Evil” showing he can crank up the speed when he needs to. A banging section of “Mion's Hill” has him underlining bass notes with a crash of the cymbal. This track is also notable for deviating significantly from the original, which was the B side from Sabbat's first single, and has seen its share of re-imaginings with many alternate studio versions and a jaw-dropping number of live recordings. In excess of five minutes, it's not a short song to begin with, but this version more than doubles the length with Osmond taking the reins. He handles vocal duties and unleashes a torrential wave of solos. For minutes on end, he solos without it ever dragging or coming off as indulgent. Other tracks have minor differences in arrangement. Bells are added to the opening track giving it a more ominous feeling. “Darkness and Evil” and “All Over the Desolate Land” have both been trimmed by over a minute. The former removes some chaotic jamming at the end, while the latter excises an intro with tribal drums and flute, plus a piano outro. Neither is worse for the changes.

Sabbat's early material is ace and you'd do well to get one of the many compilations covering it. Still, they varied in style and production. Black Up Your Soul brings them together in a cohesive package and deserves a place in any Sabbat collection. All the changes are improvements giving the songs new life. It also includes a cover of “Satan's Serenade” by NWOBHM band Quartz, which is only available here and on some vinyl editions of Disembody. This is one case where you're fine getting the newer reissue with fewer songs. The additional tracks from the 1994 release are just selections from their first three albums, which you either own already or will want to after giving this a spin. In a discography red-hot in quality, Black Up Your Soul is one of the best.