Sahg are from Norway, but you can forget about expecting any black metal sounds on their debut here for Candlelight/Regain Records. What you get here on Sahg I is pure 70's inspired Black Sabbath styled doom, with a little Scandinavian prog thrown in for good measure. Imagine if members of Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Kyuss, Clutch, Monster Magnet, and Anekdoten all got together and recorded an album? Well, that's kind of what this scorching debut comes across as. Blistering, brutal, kick ass heavy rock, with scorching guitar riffs, strong vocals, beefy grooves, and a smattering of keyboards, including some ominous Mellotron, and you have a pretty tasty platter that is going to knock more than a few people on their asses.
Groove-laden doom tidbits like "The Executioner Undead" and "Repent" just ooze 70's hard rock/metal with their thick retro sounding guitar chords, and the effects laden vocals of "The Alchemist" add a nice psychedelic touch to an otherwise heavy and symphonic tune. Visions of Masters of Reality era-Sabbath pop up on the plodding dirge of "Rivers Running Dry", while "Godless Faith" is a wonderful proggressive piece with trippy vocal effects, layered guitar work, and an overall huge and epic sound.
Fans of Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar, and Queens of the Stone Age will love the rumbling bass and deep riffs of "Soul Exile", as well as the distorted wreckage created by "Boundless Demise". The closer "Black Passage" is a behemoth of crushing Sabbath inspired riffs and vocals, complemented by a touch of Mellotron & acoustic guitar, just a great finale to the album. Much like the new album from The Sword, Sahg have managed to create an album here that harkens back to the heavy rock days of the 70's yet sounds fresh in todays metal landscape. Featuring killer riffs and powerful vocals, Sahg I will surely strike a chord with metal fans worldwide. Dig in folks, and feel the power of the riff...better yet, lots of them.
Track Listing
1. Intro: Parade Macabre
2. Repent
3. The Executioner Undead
4. The Alchemist
5. Rivers Running Dry
6. Whisper Of Abaddon
7. Godless Faith
8. Soul Exile
9. Boundless Demise
10. Black Passage