Cross the Styx

Sinister's debut album, "Cross The Styx", is a seminal death metal album. It is just one of those albums that I myself find the most enjoyment out of. This is the type of death metal that is played at high tempos and is just riff after riff of crushing death metal.

The album starts off with a classically-themed introduction track which leads into the first song on the album. "Perennial Mourning" has all the elements that make this album: extremely heavy, thrash influenced death metal riffing, intricate rhythms, furious blast beat sections, and the serviceable, wild guitar solos of Andre Tolhuizen and Ron val der Polder.

The production of the album is that perfect middle ground. Not too raw but not overly polished, allowing the album to maintain its evil feel, but also lets the listener hear the articulate riff work in detail. The band manages to stay true to its influences whilst also putting its own little spin on things. We also hear the works of Morbid Angel's "Altars of Madness", Possessed's "Seven Churches", and Morbid Saint's "Spectrum of Death"; you can hear the influence but it is not total worship.

The highlight of the album for me has to be "Compulsory Resignation" which is just a riff fest for the ages. High speed riffing demanding a headbang. The groove of the riffs are so amazing. A lot of the time the band is playing in 6/8 timing which is what makes this album at times. The way the riffs are constructed on the album in general is unreal. The drumming is also beyond excellent, always providing very heavy accents at the end of riffs that add to the heaviness. The bass is not that loud in the mix, but that is the least of your worries.

Other highlights include "Doomed", "Cross The Styx" and "Corridors To The Abyss", but the album is consistent and no song really falls to kick your ass. Each song flows extremely well and does not sound like a band that have just tried to cram as many riffs as possible into a song for the sake of it.

Overall, this is an amazing death metal album and deserves a spot on your shelf. The album is so much better than a lot of the largely overrated early American death metal scene. Get it and get ready to headbang.