Sacred Crucifix 2008
Tommi Maatta / Miku Mertanen / Janne Kela / Janne Markus
Death Metal, as one of the countless forms of metal’s many genres, has come a long way since the term was first used in the California-based band Possessed’s first demo titled “Death Metal” in 1984, as well as the title of compilation album of four German metal bands that was released by Noise Records the same year.
In Finland, the term “Death Metal” was first linked to one band coming from the northern part of Finland in the late eighties - this band being Sacred Crucifix. Back then, they were called Criminal Assault but soon changed their name to their current moniker, Sacred Crucifix. It was these fellows.. first official four-song demo, titled “Realms of Darkness,” which wrapped the band’s name heavily - yet deservedly so - around the term “Death Metal,” and earned them respect the world over as the very first true Finnish Death Metal band.
Because it was such trendy thing in Finland at that time, such Speed- and Thrash Metal bands as Stone, Airdash, A.R.G., Necromancer and a few others enjoyed riding the wave of the aforementioned genre in question the best they could. But Sacred Crucifix’s sound was something totally different than was heard in the Finnish underground metal scene at the time. It was downright sinister, heavy, dark and occasionally somewhat epic. Sacred Crucifix was definitely that one special underground Finnish metal band with a far heavier and evil sound that was slowly building up a reputation for some younger extreme metal acts from Finland that would follow for years to come.
Despite the fact Sacred Crucifix went on an extended hiatus between 1994 and 2002 for different reasons, they never dissolved the band permanently.
In late October 2002, three of the four original members of Sacred Crucifix were stoked by a new, burning motivation to drag the old corpse back from the grave once again and start crafting new songs but with that old-school Death Metal style they had become known. Sacred Crucifix recorded a four-song demo in 2003 for promotional purposes, which re-introduced the reformed lineup as a dark-sounding, hungry and motivated bunch of true beasts that were after for your flesh, blood and soul. The ancient beast had arisen back to its feet again!
Sacred Crucifix’s full-length debut album, titled “Aeon of Chaos”, was not released until 2004 - seventeen long and painful years since the band was originally formed - but it was a worthwhile wait. “Aeon of Chaos” contained both re-recorded originals from the band’s early days, as well as new songs that retained the familiar vibe that these furious death merchants sowed their first evil seeds with under the original line-up at the end of the eighties.
Four years later in 2008, Sacred Crucifix recorded and prepared to unleash their second album, baptized by the unholy name, “Shallow Grave”. If the signs of the night sky can predict anything, once this second storm has been unleashed, the gates of hell can never be sealed again.
The story continues…
Written by Luxi Lahtinen.
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Hey, This is Ryan aka guitarist from NYSIIS. Thanks so much for adding us and listening to our stuff. Stop in anytime and show us some love. We have our debut show this Sunday, July 5, at Greene Street Club in Greensboro, NC with Poison the Well, The Ascendicate, A Stained Glass Romance, The Lineage and There Will Be Blood. Hope to see you there. Bring everyone ya can.
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