Album review: SABBATH ASSEMBLY – Quaternity

Svart Records – Out Now.

By all accounts, our world looked a far more spiritually uplifting and inviting place forty odd years ago – a period when art, philosophy and all other forms of human expression were experiencing a renaissance.

It is not at all surprising, then, to find the occult Rock duet Sabbath Assembly looking towards the late 60s and early 70s for inspiration – inspiration with regards not only its musical but also its philosophical output.

Following the success of 2012’s “Ye Are Gods” (2012) Dave Nuss has decided to further advertise his affiliation withthe teachings of The Process Church Of The Final Judgement through the creation of six new musical pieces/prayers which come together under the cleverly chosen title “Quaternity”.

There is a good reason why I chose not to use the word ‘songs’ in order to describe Sabbath Assembly’s six new offerings and that is because there is absolutely nothing conventional about the way this occult Rock outfit chooses to compose music.

Instead of working on specific musical formulae, the duet focuses primarily on their lyrical mission/statement and then works towards putting together the right sounds in order to enhance the feel and atmosphere of their message.

This approach, my friends, is responsible for the creation of one of the most unique and impressive albums that you are likely to come across this year!

Jamie Myers has an unbelievably warm and inviting voice and it is her personal contribution to the eerie, oriental-themed “Let Us Who Musically Represent…” which sets the scene for this musical mass (of sorts).

Tranquil acoustic guitar melodies, bell ringing, discrete string arrangements…all conspire to make the vocally-led “Jehovah On Death” a much inspired musical proposition while the stunning follow up “The Burning Cross Of Christ” features one of the most sensational guitar melodies that this album has to offer.

Though far from being a Heavy Metal band, Sabbath Assembly definitely turn the volume up in the heavy riffed “I, Satan”, a song which displays an interesting contrast between commanding female and brutal male vocals, paving the way for three and a half minutes of nuanced guitar melodies and layered male/female vocals which come under the title “Lucifer”.

The album concludes with an eighteen and a half minute paean entitled “The Four Horsemen” – a rather long piece of music that enables the duet to provide the listener with a much more thorough presentation of its’ religious and philosophical beliefs.

Far from being a conventional Occult Rock album, “Quaternity” is a body of work set on challenging people’s conceptions of what constitutes dark spiritual music.

Undoubtedly, Sabbath Assembly’s third studio afforest will attract an array of contrasting reactions from reviewers but, as far as yours truly is concerned, this is one of the most satisfying and mind boggling musical trips undertaken so far this year.

John Stefanis

Rating: ****1/2 (4.5/5.0)

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Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)