The truth will set you free
Rising from out of Wollongong, NSW, Australia is a talented and fresh sounding progressing metal/rock band called The Sacred Truth. Yet another Aussie band out of thousands that are all vying for the same thing – success. They all need our support, so hopefully this review will help The Sacred Truth in any way, as the internet and word of mouth is always one of the best forms of promotion.
The Sacred Truth was created in 2008 and features a quartet of talented musicians, including vocalist Nirmal Peter, bassist Wayne Phillis, guitarist Peter Grujevski and drummer Daniel Hutt. The group were finalists in the 2010 MusicOz awards (in the best metal/hardcore category), ultimately won by Black Asylum and boasts past winners such as Gasma and Wish for Wings. The band plays a progressive metal/rock style (with a touch of 80’s metal/rock) that is unusual for the area of Wollongong, where the majority of bands play a stoner rock/metal style, however it is great to see a band go against the grain as it is the case for The Sacred Truth.
In 2009, the band released their very first material, a self-released EP entitled ‘Reflections of Tragedy’, which featured four songs that the band ultimately used in their quest to win the MusicOz awards and these songs also ended up being on the 2011 debut album ‘Reflections of Tragedy II: The Final Confession’. Signed by Greek label Sleaszy Rider Records, with distribution in Australia by Bleed Records/Conspire Destroy; the album was produced by Hutt, Grujevski and Peter, with Adam Jordan of Main Street Studios and mastered by Ue Nastasi from Sterling Sound; who has worked with Fear Factory and Killswitch Engage.
I’ve really enjoyed the laid back but also technical style of their progressive metal/rock music; there is no song that is overly heavy at all, however the deep and bold guitar riffs of Peter Grujevski will keep your head nodding and foot tapping throughout the album. Songs on the disc feature powerful choruses and crunching riffs, with clean echo laded serene passages entwined with hard rock/heavy metal 80’s era vocal lines. The CD has been written superbly, to the extent that I was quite surprised considering it’s a debut album. ‘Reflections of Tragedy II’ is an album that you can easily enjoy from start to finish without being distracted or losing interest. Lastly, vocalist Nirmal Peter has a great melodic voice that you can listen to for hours on end; delivering such emotion and passion in his vocals.
‘The Final Confession’ tells the story of an unnamed character that is beset by tragic events and deals with things like religion, terrorism, broken relationships, isolation and drugs and alcohol. The main character is brought up in a very religious household, however his belief in God becomes twisted and complex and certain issues start to arise. With that said, songs that stood out above others include the energetic and charismatic CD opener “Refuse to Obey”, an atmospheric and bombastic track that sets the scene for the remainder of the album. The tantalizing guitar riffs are almost hypnotic, while the softer passages of the 8 minute song are very melodic, particularly with Nirmal’s wonderful vocals.
“Cries of the Soul” is easily one of the best tracks on the disc, with its catchy and melodic chorus and excellent tempo changes that remind me of recent Iron Maiden and their current song structures. The solo from Grujevski is brilliant to say the least, coinciding with bold and furious pummelling on the drums; while the passionate and harmonic vocals lines from Nirmal makes this song almost perfect in my book. “Mourning Sun” continues the trend of wonderful prog/melodic metal tracks, with Nirmal’s vocals again leading the charge. Noticeably heavier than the previous two tracks, the mid-part of the tracks explodes (almost out of nowhere) into a flurry of amazing guitar riffs, accompanied by heavy bass and technical drumming that just blows you away and wanting to back to it time and time again.
More standout tracks are on offer within this release, and they include the two emotional and moving ballads “Scars” and “Angels”, and the amazing Dream Theater-esk, nine minute epic track “God’s Will”, that needs to be heard to be believed. Rounding out the album is the dark-tinged and riff-laden “Retribution” and lastly the melodic and uplifting CD closer “Saviour”.
In the end, despite the music not being overly heavy at all, in this case the way the music was written, the end result was that it’s not meant to be and I feel that it works a treat as is. There are heavy fragments in every song which are of a high calibre, whether it be the guitar solos or instrumental passages where the bass guitar and technical drumming come together to add further depth. Some fans and listeners alike may yearn for something slightly heavier that packs more of a punch and at times that could be true, but overall if that’s the only fault of this disc, then The Sacred Truth have done a remarkable job with this debut album. Fans that should gravitate towards this CD would range anywhere from fans of Iron Maiden to Dream Theater, with a lot of genres in between. The Sacred Truth have a lot of talent and a lot good things going for them already after just one full-length release and I hope to hear more material from them soon.
(Sleaszy Rider Records)
