Hotter than hell – 87%
robotniq, July 28th, 2021
Most old school death metal fans will know the importance of the Dutch scene. The Netherlands spawned several ‘big’ names like Pestilence, Gorefest and Asphyx, as well as underground acts like Sempiternal Deathreign and God Dethroned. The scene never had a singular ‘sound’ to compete with Florida or Stockholm, but the quality was high. Sinister were near the top of this particular pile and “Cross the Styx” is their first and best album. It is blistering, punishing and suffocating. This record boils the essence of Florida death metal in a cauldron, and spices it up with some European occult darkness.
The main similarities are with American death metal acts. The torsion of Morbid Angel and Possessed is one influence (e.g., the old school technicality of “Putrefying Remains”). The brute force of Massacre is another (such as the mid-paced sections of “Sacramental Carnage”). Still, the best comparison is Deicide. This record sits between the first two Deicide albums, both chronologically and stylistically. It has the catchy, muscular sound of that band’s debut (e.g., the riffing in “Perpetual Damnation”), and the extremity that would soon appear on “Legion” (an inferior album to this one).
That said, this still sounds like a European death metal album. It shares similarities with other dark death metal bands from the era, particularly (early) Necrophobic. Songs like “Doomed” and “Epoch of Denial” have those rolling, marching riffs that are surprisingly rare in death metal. The production, handled by the guys from Atrocity, is thick and infernal. This makes “Cross the Styx” more intense than American equivalents (like “Imperial Doom” or “Ritual of Infinity”). This production is perfect for Sinister. The instruments sound clear, but each is secondary to the overall atmospheric fog. It gives the album a sweltering, furnace-like feel that is unlike anything else I’ve heard.
The album’s greatest strength is in how it switches between different speeds. Equal precedence is given to fast, medium and slow; an under-appreciated trait of elite old school death metal. This means there is the right balance between groove and blasting, which brings out the best in both. This is some of the most purposeful blasting I’ve ever heard on a death metal record. Sinister uses blasts to release tension and energy, allowing the songs to reach further levels of cathartic rage. I cannot think of another album that blasts for such an expressive, emotive purpose. Few death metal bands sound as angry and explosive as Sinister do here.
This is a cult classic for death metal veterans who enjoy finding the subtle differences between bands. It isn’t necessarily a record I would recommend to death metal neophytes. It has a couple of inconsequential flaws; the intro and outro are pointless, the soloing technique won’t please guitar purists. It also lacks a standout track that would provide an anchor for immediate recognition (for example, a “Chopped in Half”, an “Out of the Body” or a “Chapel of Ghouls”). I like this one a lot though. Sinister never matched this primal energy again. Their second and third albums are decent, with better musicianship, but they lack the white-hot intensity found here.
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