Sacrifice is often mentioned in the same breath as Razor and Infernäl Mäjesty as representatives of the more vicious side of Canadian thrash metal. And yet, I have always considered them better than either of those bands, simply because Sacrifice’s songwriting is surprisingly sophisticated. Sure, they can fire high-speed riffs at the listener like there’s no tomorrow, but they are better aware of the power of dynamics than their peers. And while ‘Volume Six’ is the first Sacrifice album in a decade and a half, it has many of the same strengths and sonic characteristics as 2009’s excellent comeback ‘The Ones I Condemn’.

While 1990’s ‘Soldiers of Misfortune‘ will probably always remain my favorite Sacrifice album, ‘The Ones I Condemn’ was better than I expected it would be. Unlike many reunited thrash bands of the era, Sacrifice wasn’t desperately trying to get with the times. All they needed was a slightly more modern production job to add some more bite to the sharp riffs of Rob Urbinati and Joe Rico, but essentially, Sacrifice was still the same band that released ‘Forward to Termination’ back in 1987. This made Sacrifice’s return one of the most welcome in the thrash metal scene, with their full classic line-up, no less.

‘Volume Six’ basically picks up where ‘The Ones I Condemn’ left off. That much is clear when the first riffs of the fantastic opening track ‘Comatose’ burst out of the speakers. Sacrifice still masters the art of the hyper-aggressive riff, and Urbinati’s high-pitched bark is still as powerful as it ever was. Also, judging from his precise and highly energetic performance, it’s hard to believe that drummer Gus Pynn is already in his late fifties. The band blasts through tracks like ‘We Will Not Survive’, the classic Sacrifice track ‘Missile’, and the annihilating ‘Explode’ like a bunch of rabid teenagers, only with the refinement that comes with experience.

One aspect in which Sacrifice truly outshines its peers, however, is their slower material. Most thrash bands attempting slow or mid-tempo material these days end up with dull, plodding tracks that appear to just be there to make the barrage of uptempo riffs more palatable. ‘Underneath Millenia’, for instance, has a truly grimy, evil feel that works exceptionally well within the context of the album. ‘Black Hashish’ is the most atypical track on here. It’s a lengthy instrumental that is actually quite atmospheric by Sacrifice standards, if that is a term you could use for something this riffy. Most of the riffs are crushing, yet surprisingly catchy. A true highlight.

Weirdly, ‘Volume Six’ is one of those albums that manages to surprise by being exactly what a fan of the band’s classic material would hope it to be. The balance between the boiling aggression of thrash metal and the depth of songwriting is something that Sacrifice has mastered way back in the mid-eighties, and they’ve still got it. If you’re being super critical, one could argue that Sacrifice isn’t doing much original here – save for maybe ‘Black Hashish’ – but let’s be frank: what the band’s audience wants is more of what made Sacrifice so good to begin with. And that is here in spades.

Recommended tracks: ‘Missile’, ‘Comatose’, ‘Black Hashish’, ‘We Will Not Survive’