Human Sacrifice (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Human Sacrifice
Type = album
Artist = Vengeance Rising


Released = 1988
Recorded = 1988 California, United States
Genre = Thrash metal Death metal
Length = 36:29
Label = Intense Records
Producer =
Reviews =
*Cross Rhythms rating-10|7 [http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/products/Vengeance_Rising/Human_SacrificeOnce_Dead/10405/ link]
*Powermetal.de (positive) [http://www.powermetal.de/cdreview/review-626.html link]
Last album = Vengeance (1987)
This album = Human Sacrifice (1988)
Next album = Once Dead (1990)

"Human Sacrifice" is the first studio album of the Christian death and thrash metal band Vengeance Rising, as the first Christian thrash metal album as it was released in 1988. "Human Sacrifice" and the following album, "Once Dead" were huge successes in the world of Christian music, making Vengeance Rising one of the few bands in the genre to cross over into the secular music scene. [cite web |author=Torreano, Bradley |title=Vengeance Rising |publisher=Open Publishing |date=2005-04-30 |work=All Music Guide|url=http://wc07.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:k9fwxqe5ldse~T1 |accessdate=2007-09-09 ] "Human Sacrifice" was called "the most radical Christian album ever released" by HM Magazinecite book |last=Powell |title=Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music |year=2002 |chapter=Vengeance Rising |pages=993-994]

Recording history

Human Sacrifice was recorded in 1988, and released on Intense Records the same year with 1000 copies. Soon a Dutch band called Vengeance demanded the group to change its name. After renaming itself as "Vengeance Rising" the band re-released "Human Sacrifice" with the word "rising" under the logo on cover picture.

Musically, "Human Sacrifice" focuses on brutal thrash metal in vein of Dark Angel, old Death and Slayer. Roger Martinez's vocals are more of the death metal type growling approach than typical thrash shouting. Vengeance Rising was influenced by 1970s hard rock and heavy metal groups. This shows in the blues rock influences on several tracks. There are three short grindcore songs on "Human Sacrifice": "Receive Him" (6 s.), "Salvation" (17 s.) and "He is God" (53 s.) Lyrically, Human Sacrifice was noticed for having violent themes on songs like "Burn".

"Human Sacrifice" is also the first actual Christian extreme metal album, and it has become somewhat a legend in the Christian circles. Later extreme metal groups like Mortification were influenced by the music of this album. [ cite web |author=Cranson, David |title=My Vengeance Rising - Human Sacrifice / Once Dead |publisher=Open Publishing |date=2005-04-30 |work=Encyclopedia of things |url= http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/products/Vengeance_Rising/Human_SacrificeOnce_Dead/10405/ |accessdate=2007-09-09 ]

Track listing

#"Human Sacrifice" (2:36)
#"Burn" (3:59)
#"Mulligan Stew" (3:02)
#"Receive Him" (0:06)
#"I Love Hating Evil" (3:26)
#"Fatal Delay" (3:13)
#"White Throne" (3:06)
#"Salvation" (0:17)
#"From the Dead" (4:34)
#"Ascension" (5:25)
#"He is God" (0:53)
#"Fill this Place with Blood" (2:39)
#"Beheaded" (3:10)

References