Customer Reviews

Sacrifist

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

OK, be warned, there's no funk here, it's HEAVY, LOUD and abrasive. The Painkiller edge is a great addition to the intensity. The solo organ track 'Crossing' is the only respite from the aural assault. 'Rivit' grinds, thumps and blares in glorious pain. 'Cold Rolled/Iron Dub' mixes Laswell's Dub taste with Eye's free vocal shreiks. Highly recommended.

Heaviness as a musical concept has never been probed so thoroughly and with such diversity as on this recording. The first four tracks are, to me, an evolving suite of heavy rock, one which keeps finding new ways to slam a listener's head in a car door by combining chugging guitar riffs, various approaches to metal, punk, and industrial rhythm tracks, and the twin screams of John Zorn's sax and Yamatsuka Eye's surely bleeding vocal cords. That suite, however, merely serves as a launching point for the exploration which follows. There is spacy heaviness between the notes of "Death Star"'s stereo pair of pentatonic bass solos; subtly menacing heaviness in the washes of off-white noise threatening to take the foreground away from the rock organ in "Crossing", or in the creepy-crawly pizzicato string breaks between chunks of punk swagger of "Nine Secrets"; even, in the deep groove of "The Hook", danceable heaviness.

I would actually recommend that a first-time listener listen to the songs in random order until the impact of the entire CD sinks in, because I've had this disc for years and I still let the suite put me in a metalesque mindset that sets my expectations exactly the wrong way to suddenly find myself floating weightless for the fifth song. Continuity and expectation conspire against a good first impression of this disc. But persistence will be rewarded: this disc succeeds, sonically, texturally, artistically, in challenging and elaborating our notions of heavy music.

If Praxis and Painkiller got together to make an album the result would most definately be "Sacrifist". The addition of Mick Harris, John Zorn, Yamatsuka Eye and Blind Idiot God to the Praxis roster give this album its harder, darker edge. Zorn has his squealing sax, Mick Harris drums like no tomorrow and adds some vocals here and there, Eye yelps, cries and screams his head off and Blind Idiot God add interesting musical nuances on "Cold Rolled/Iron Dub". Given my extreme like of metal/grindcore I latched onto this album pretty quickly. The bottom line is, if you're a Praxis fan and you dig metal or extreme music in any form then chances are you will like this album. If you are expecting another "Transmutation" then steer clear of "Sacrifist". It ain't jazz, it ain't funk but it's way out there...........

An interesting side note: the guitar riffs Buckethead plays on the song "Nine Secrets" were taken from the Sepultura song "Arise".

Ok, so maybe my expectations were a little high. But I think it was relatively justified - firstly, the previous Praxis album 'Transmutation' was pretty spectacular. Not only that but this one had John Zorn (probably one of my main obsessions at the time I heard about this album) on it. Add to all that the fact that it was near impossible to find.

So I finally found it (and luckily it didn't cost me anywhere near the US$42 which Amazon is currently quoting), probably got it with a few other (better) albums, because I think I just listened to it a few times and then put it on the shelf.

Years passed and yesterday I decided to pull out all my Praxis albums for a listen. Let me say it bluntly: 'Sacrifist' is weak. As other reviews said, it's "the metal album", but it's just so weak, particularly for a metal album. While 'Transmutation' has hardly dated at all since it's '92 release, this one dated almost immediately.

The ideas for Praxis have always been minimal but on 'Sacrifist' they're nearly non-existent. I guess the fact that the cast included Zorn, Mick Harris, Blind Idiot God, Yamatsuka Eye, Buckethead, Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell was enough for Laswell to just relax and let the musicians do their thing. There are some cool moments, but generally it just comes off sounding noisy and under-developed.

Perhaps controversially, I think that Eye is one of the best things about this album. He's used sparingly and is often the most interesting thing happening at the time (particularly the non-metal bits). Bootsy and Bernie seem to be generally missing in action, only prominent for a track each. And Brain is sorely missed on this album.

So the bottom line: only get this album if you're a Laswell completist or you're one of those people that needs to fill that last gap in their Praxis collection or something. Despite the great lineup and the fact that it is so hard to find, it is not the holy grail.

I'm certain that 90% of the world's population would scratch their heads if I ever brought up Praxis in a conversation. I won't elaborate on what Praxis is since anyone with an open mind and an Internet connection can just put the name into a search engine, but I will say that Praxis has never operated within the confines of a band per se. After all, Bill Laswell and Buckethead have always been at the core of Praxis' endeavors (I can't tell you how many times the hands have changed from album to album and even tour to tour). I think that's why their "biggest" outing was 'Trasmutation'. While it is arguable that Praxis defies definition, its diversity was on full display in its most concentrated, albeit conherent, form on said record. You had Bootsy Collins' space bass, Buckethead's mind-numbing guitar licks, and Brain's turntable horseplay to savor on every level. However, die-hards always ignore and/or sometimes attack Praxis' sophomore offering, 'Sacrifist'.

It is because of these attacks that I must speak up for 'Sacrifist' for my own sake, if not for the sake of those impressionable listeners yet to hear the beauty that is 'Sacrifist'. I will say that it is not Praxis' best album, but it is an extraordinary work of art that accomplishes what few works of art manage to do: it divides the audience. I believe that if an album, book, or film is universally praised, it can't be considered art since there is no dissenting voice to challenge its merits. However, 'Sacrifist' has been called weak, messy, confusing, and unlistenable. I am here to say that 'Sacrifist' is all of those things and much more, but what disturbs me are the reviews that imply the lack of redeeming qualities or underlying genius.

Bill Laswell put together a supergroup for 'Sacrifist' in the same context that a depressed housewife loads the best contents of her freezer into a blender for one hell of a delicious (yet fattening) shake. Bootsy Collins, Buckethead, John Zorn, Yamatsuka Eye, Bernie Worrell, and Mick Harris are present on one disc, and the results are controversial. For instance, the whole mood of 'Sacrifist is summed up in 1 minute and 34 seconds by the opening number, 'Stronghold', which is punctuated by meandering sax notes, speed drumming, insane guitarwork, the unrelenting grind of a buzz saw, and the viscious banshee calls of Yamatsuka Eye (who sounds like a troll hopped up on Mountain Dew and PCP). 'Stronghold' soon gives way to a schizophrenic medley reminiscent of the late 70's Canterberry movement, and it is at that point where 'Sacrifist' may put listeners in an uncomfortable position due to its unpredictability. After all, it's hard to pigeonhole the merits of a record that contains speed metal, snippets of jazz, industrial grooves, and psychodelic Hammond organs. So while 'Stronghold' may lead you to decide if the remaining 8 songs are worthy of your attention, the rest of the album is surprisingly progressive and diverse, hence the error in judgement that many critics and elitists reserve when scrutinizing the record as a whole. In fact, if it weren't for the presence of Bootsy and Zorn, I'm sure the critics would have ripped it apart, but such a notion would be a disservice to the other musicians. To be honest, I found the blood-curdling screams of Yamatsuka Eye to be charming and in some instances, hilarious. The absence of Brain is unfortunate, but the unique stylings of Bernie Worrell make up for that in spades.

'Sacrifist' is a short disc, but nothing short of sweet. Each musician featured on the disc is given a chance to shine in his own way, and whether you walk away from the record with a smile or a grimace, you'll be glad you paid 'Sacrifist' a visit. There hasn't been nor will there ever be anything like it.

Save your money.

I unfortunately purchased this CD a week ago, as my original copy went missing after a recent move. This listing is actually for the "remastered" version of Sacrifist. Not only is the packaging somewhat blurred on the back, but the disc itself basically looks like it was shat out of a home PC.

Worst of all, the music won't play on any of my equipment: Car stereo or home stereo. It just skips all over.

Again, this 2006 edition is not entirely the original version that released in 1994. The "remastered" version was not supervised by Bill Laswell. The track listing is identical to the first release, but the CD may not play well on your equipment.

For the record, I love this album. The single star does not reflect the quality of the music, just of the release itself.

OK i am biased, big buckethead fan, definitely more than appreciate bootsy and laswell as well. I just got this one and I really must say it is on the same tier as Metatron and Transmutation if you like those. The screaming on here is soooo over the top it is both simultaneously scary and funny if you can imagine that. Everything is built around carefully concocted absurd music, but so well done and full of great hooks that you will find yourself pumping your fists and yelling right along until the adrenaline subsides. The laswell-induced mix knows when to say when, and then lets gentle melodies briefly soothe bruised brains. 1/2 star docked for the obligatory "lets let bernie worell play for 12 minutes since we need to still add about 12 minutes to the album."

2 1/2


These are little more then artsy and/or masochist experimentations, but I suppose it is a small niche filled well for those heavily invested in the genre. Credit an eclectic arsenal on the production front for sounds not becoming repetitive and meanderings less pretentious. It sounds like early schiz-rock with maybe a little more accessibility from the straight-ahead metal influence mixed in with broader appealing elements, but does not reach near the heights of madness many others have.

This was my first exposure to Praxis. based on the insanity of this release I picked up Transmutation and metatron and wondered why people had reviewed Transmutation so highly. It doesnt even sound like the same band. This album's individual members contributions are easily identifiable with ZOrn mixing it up almost as much as he did for Mr. Bungles' self-entitled release.

To be honest, Ive heard other Praxis releases and they are all easily missed, whereas this one is a must have. If I had to pick 10 albums to be stranded on a desert island with, this one would definitely be with me.

The cd opens on a positive note, with the death metalesque piece The Stronghold. Cold Rolled is a groovin' beat and I like to listen to it. Suspension begins like a bad scifi film sndtrk, then picks up into death metal speed. Rivet is mechanized, even beats and heavy. Death Star is kind of spacey, with Bootsy goin' off on his Space bass. The Hook features an outfit called Blind Idiot God on it and is a turntable piece. Nine Secrets is another death metal sounding piece with a slow even beat. Crossing closes out the album, and is a 9 min. track featuring Bernie Worrel on the organ.
Here's the critique: Yamatsuka Eye is a screaming maniac and ruins the CD. Jazz composer John Zorn doesn't help it either with his out of key seemingly horible sax playing. Stronghold, Suspension and Nine Secrets have very cool guitar distortion BUT on closer inspection it sounds like samples from early Sepultura albums (especially 9 Secrets). While the album starts off cool, it loses momentum in the second half.
My advice, buy Transmutation, and Metatron if you can get it. Collection is also good. It takes 5 from MEtatron, 3 from Sacrifist and 2 from Death Cube K's album. Metatron is better but lacks Bootsy and Bernie. Warsazwa is OK. It's more laid back and half the album is turntables. If you don't mind screaming that's almost as bad as Burzum( Varg Vikernes' black metal. He's in jail.) horrible sounding sax, ... and a lack of member balanced tracks ( theres 8 people on this album and not all appear on 1 track together. One whole song belongs to Bernie Worrel.) Then buy this.....IF YOU CAN!!! ITS OUT OF PRINT.