Customer Reviews

A Vision of Misery

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Sadus could do no wrong, it seemed, until after this release. If they'd stopped here they would have been a perfect three-for-three.

Anyway, "A Vision of Misery" carries on somewhat in the traditional Sadus vein (high speed, highly technical thrash with psychotic vocals and very audible, very well-played bass parts), but adds more death metal stylings to the mix. The tempos are more varied - if "Chemical Exposure" blasted along at 200 mph all the time, and "Swallowed in Black" did so 90% of the time, with this album it might be down to 70% or so. Luckily the band is very tight whether going fast or slow, and all the parts are crisply executed. If you like thrash and death metal, this album is for you. Also, the vocals are the best the band ever had - a somewhat Chuck Schuldiner (Death)-esque snarl that is probably easier to take for most listeners than the over-the-top screams on their previous releases.

Buy this one and its two predecessors. But stay away from anything else they released later. Down that road lies madness... well, disappointment, anyway.

Sadus is one of my all-time faves. These guys RIP! I also own their previous albums SWALLOWED IN BLACK and CHEMICAL EXPOSURE. Lemmie tell ya, all albums are KILLER! Not one whimpy song on any of the albums. If you like your metal fast and frenetic with INSANE guitar leads and vocals, then this is the group for you.

I just got my reissue copy of vision of misery and it turned out to be swallowed in black with the cover artwork for vision of misery and the cd print for vision of misery but the data on the cd is swallowed in black. I got screwed good. Get the original issue if you can!

A much more progressive and Death-like Sadus plays on this fine effort which is the Bay Area thrashers third release and last for Roadrunner. The playing here is top-notch but overall this album doesn't feel quite as aggressive as what came before. Regardless, this is still a worthwhile album for any thrasher as well as bass enthusiasts. I owned the original Roadrunner pressing in 2005 but upgraded to the 2006 Metal Mind Poland remaster which has much improved sound and liners.

Although I always called Sadus a Thrash band, they kind of walked the thin line between Thrash and Death very closely. This album is very polished which boasts a better production than previous efforts but still sounds like Sadus.

Sadus had a pretty original sound: Steve's Thunderous fretless bass, the Travis/Moore guitar attack with all those weird little trills and Jon Allen's bassy drum kits work. It is a sound that is really hard to compare to any other band.

'A Vision of Misery' uses the same Sadus formula as in the previous 1990 effort 'Swallowed in Black'. This album is good and maybe as good as 'Swallowed in Black'. There is speed in the verse parts of the songs, there are time change ups everywhere and lots of cool beats. The vocals still have the same ominous shriek as before. But most of all what is different about this album than previous ones is that Sadus was beginning to branch out into a more musically diverse territory with different time signatures and speeds that are sped up and slowed down almost effortlessly. Lots of effects are used in the final production too.

Definitely worth checking out if you like intelligent metal in the progressive Thrash mold or if you liked Steve's performance on Death's "Human" and/or "Individual Thought Patterns". One thing is for certain: It is original.

I came across Sadus on Pandora and heard Slave to Misery. After I picked my teeth up off the floor I rushed to amazon to see how much I could pick this gem up for. I purchased this along with Out for Blood on amazon. Cd arrived in great condition, the album covering and all was a bit scratchy but it's still laying in the back floorboard of my car so no harm done. A few months ago I wound up getting Swallowed In Black and Chemical Exposure at a used CD store for 1.75 each!!! Sadus is straight kick you in your face speed metal and it only gets better with each listen!

Metalmind does it again w/an awesome sounding remaster. 24 gold bit cd that blows the original cd away!!! The original was always a little too low sounding. The remaster juices up the vulume and makes it louder and instruments are all crisper. Valley of Dry Bones never sounded better. Digiorgio's bass slaps come right through your speakers and slaps your face over and over again. This was the 3rd sadus release, not as thrashy intense as the previous 2 releases, but still killer nonetheless. Their reformed cd's over the last several yrs have failed to capture the intensity the band was know for, it's a shame.

Rob Moore are one of the most underrated guitarists in the genre. The disgarge of the solos here is a must have for any metalhead. The basslines are from the one and only Steve D' Giorgio. Jon Allen is good in drums too, with a consistent tempo changes!!! Also recommended "Swallowed in Black".

If you like Cynic, Death or early Voivod. You need to hear this band. Steve Gigorgio on bass.