SACRED OUTCRY - Damned for all Time

SACRED OUTCRY

Album: Damned for all Time

Genre: Power / Symphonic Metal

Release Date: September 25th 2020

Country: Greece

Label: No Remorse Records

Even though there seems to a be a never-ending flood of new metal releases at the moment, we shouldn’t forget that behind every album, there’s always an individual story. In case of my September shout-out for Blessed Altar Zine, I’m gonna talk about the Greek band SACRED OUTCRY, that was formed in 1998, just to present their debut album 22 years later, on the probably most insane release day of 2020, September 25th. Let’s find out whether it was worth the wait.

The cover artwork shows an old man, standing on a rock in front of a mystic castle. The raging thunderstorm and the dragon in the air make it clear, that we’re gonna enter a gloomy fantasy story.

"Damned for all Time” starts with a short, instrumental intro, before “Legions of the Fallen” kicks in. It’s a catchy song with a great melody, only the guitars seem to be a bit shy at the beginning, the mixing could have added a bit more power here. The vocals deserve a closer look: Yannis Papadopoulos (Beast in Black), who is mentioned on Bandcamp as “Special Guest”, delivers an amazing performance, and fits perfectly to this symphonic powermetal outfit.

With the following “Sacred Outcry”, the band moves straight forward, and adds more symphonic elements. The guitars are stronger now, and impress with powerful riffs and melodic solos.

Over the next songs, they develop their music with varied song-writing and keep the listening experience interesting. You’ll find emotional ballads with strong vocal lines, mid-tempo songs with beautiful harmonies, but also faster parts like in “Lonely Man”, with great guitar and bass solos. The title track is the longest, and also most impressive here. Several changes in mood and tempo bring in a huge dynamic, and show the potential of these Greek guys.

SACRED OUTCRY’s debut album is an amazing discovery for me, and is recommended for fans of power- and symphonic metal. The production, that starts a bit too tame during the first song, gets stronger soon fortunately. Rhythm section, guitars and orchestration build a solid basis for the powerful vocals, but each musician has its very own solo moments as well. To sum it up: Was “Damned for all Time” worth the wait? Absolutely! And a follow-up in the foreseeable future would be highly appreciated. But for now, let’s crank up this first effort, and enjoy the music, that finally found the way to us listener 😊

Written by Katha