Dreamweaver

Sabbat threw everything into "Dreamweaver". Their “History of a Time to Come” debut was a thrash classic with tons of memorable hooks. This follow-up was bigger, bolder and more ambitious. The band took the pagan/folklore flirtations of the debut (i.e., "Horned is the Hunter"), and embellished them into a concept album. On the musical side, the addition of second guitarist Simon Jones gave them some extra creative dynamism. He shared (some) composition duties with Andy Sneap and is credited as a co-writer on two songs. On the lyrical side, mastermind Martin Walkyier shot for the stars.

The concept is clear from the outset. "The Beginning of the End" opens with an excerpt from the Norse Poetic Edda ("Wellbeing I won, and wisdom too..."). Everything that follows was adapted from an obscure novel called "The Way of Wyrd" by Brian Bates. The novel concerns the conflict between early-Medieval Christianity and Anglo Saxon heathenism. It tells the story of a young Christian missionary (Wat Brand) venturing through the wild English countryside, encountering the heathen people and the spirits that share their world. Walkyier turns the original tale into a rhythmic, rhyming odyssey and portrays several characters (altering his narration voice for each). He contrasts the vices of Christianity with the virtues of heathenism more strongly than Bates had done, though Bates approved of his adaptation.

The first half of the album verges on the sublime. Songs like "The Clerical Conspiracy" and "Do Dark Horses Dream of Nightmares?" are as good as anything from the debut. The former has the catchiest chorus on the album and sets the tone for the missionary’s dark story. The latter might be the band's heaviest and most punishing song, particularly when the acoustic guitar illuminates the most savage and memorable hook ("TO CAST ASPERSION ON MY SANITY!"). Neither song matches the album's ultimate highlight; "The Best of Enemies". This is an eight-minute epic with enough riffs to rival Dark Angel in their prime. It also features Walkyier's most ambitious lyrics. The song’s climax arrives at the six-minute mark, with a near-spoken word poem contrasting the Christian and heathen worldview that ranks with the greatest metal lyricism of all time.

The second half is weaker. It loses momentum under the weight of ill-defined riffs that are stacked on top of each other, with little variation. The composition feels muddled and less satisfying, despite the fact that the concept remains intact. There are still some brilliant moments; Walkyier's rapid-fire soliloquy in the first minute of "How Have the Mighty Fallen?" is spell-binding, and the relative simplicity of the Slayer-esque "Wildfire" is memorable. The problem is that none of the songs can compete with what came before them, including anything from "History of a Time to Come".

The production is ambiguous. “Dreamweaver” was recorded by the same person who recorded the debut, but in a different studio. The band's label (Noise) encouraged Sabbat to use the 'house' studio in Berlin. Sneap has said in interviews that the recording process was long, painful and expensive. The resulting production sounds heavier than the debut because the guitar tone is dense and murky. It is the opposite of that album's harsh, crisp tone. Unfortunately, it sometimes sounds like the guitarists are sinking in a quagmire of fuzz and distortion. This gives the (impressive) solos a distant, liminal sound. The collective talents of Sneap and Jones can somewhat compensate for this, but the guitars sound sharpest on the acoustic tracks ("Advent of Insanity", "Happy Never After").

Despite its shortcomings, “Dreamweaver” is a wonderful and unique record that every metal fan needs to hear. It is one of the most ambitious metal albums ever made, and marks the apex of Martin Walkyier’s career as a lyricist. The intensity of such creative outpouring under sub-optimal recording conditions would break the band. Sabbat splintered soon after, with Walkyier and bassist Fraser Craske (the band's conceptual duo) leaving Sneap and drummer Simon Negus to find new band-mates. “History of a Time to Come” is a better album, but “Dreamweaver” is a more substantial achievement.