Three Nails and the Truth

Country music writer and legend Harlan Howard once said that "Country music is three chords and the truth." For this to be possible one must then understand what truth is. Truth by it's very nature is unchanging and infallible, therefore, the author of truth must be unchanging and infallible. To be a human and an author of truth is not possible. Human beings can only offer opinions, unless speaking of the truth, in which case, said human must quote directly, accurately, and often. Eli Prinson and Mike Phillips of The Sacrificed do exactly this.

 The Sacrificed are a band out of Lakeland, FL, and came together in 2005. While they may be fairly young as a band, the music is pure American traditional metal, with some progressive vibes throughout the album to keep the music entertaining. At times the band has been compared to Queensryche, Deliverance and Sacred Warrior. The primary reason behind the comparison is the phenomenal vocals of front-man Eli Prinson. Eli has a range that is better than Geoff Tate of Queensrych and rivals the high-pitched wails of King Diamond himself. That is not to say that Eli rips off either person, rather his vocal style, and delivery is very similar. Add to the band the master guitar shredder himself, Mike Phillips. Mike is from the old school of metal, where one must have chops AND melody. On the songs that need a smokin solo to keep things moving, Mike delivers flawlessly. At other times, he plays a moving passage, and it is pretty obvious his soul wrote the notes. Mike also has a flair for the progressive styling in his playing but does not fall prey to the technical wankery of other players, rather, each note is placed in each song for the overall effect. Daniel Cordova holds down the low end of the band on the bass and brings the drums and guitar work together with a practiced finesse. There are not very many runs and fills in his playing style, but again, each note is played with emphasis and power, always keeping in mind the final product to be delivered. The bass is handled very competently and adds to the overall effect of the album, blending perfectly with the tempos set by drummer Jay Williams. Jay has incredibly fast feet and keeps the beat strong while adding fills and blast beats in exactly the right amount for flavor and dynamics. Whether he is holding the beat, pausing in an interlude, dropping out or crashing in, Jay Williams sense of taste and timing is impeccable. In short, The Sacrificed has brought together 4 guys that are clearly on the same musical mission. Mike Phillips and Daniel Cordova may be new to this band, but the overall sound that is achieved has 4 guys playing music that they love and it is evident in the intensity of the music created for this album.

Eli Prinson wrote the lyrics to 7 of the 10 songs on the album, Mike Phillips wrote 2 and the last is a song called Before the Storm, that is a Queensryche cover. Ironically, I would have not known from the first listen that Before the Storm was a cover, as it flows with the album and fits the style of the band. Lyrically, every song is taken from the Bible and urges people to seek Jesus without coming across as preachy and in-your-face. Songs Like The Nephilim Agenda, Behold the Power of God, and Ark of the Covenant are all written from  a historical perspective and tell a small story. The Nephilim Agenda deals with the events leading up to the flood. Ark of the Covenant is the history of the Ark from its inception, creation, capture by the Philistines and its ultimate return to Israel. Behold the Power of God is about Aaron and Moses' confrontation with Pharaoh when they demanded the release of the Israelites from slavery. Regeneration is more political and it is a plea for the people of America to turn back to God before this nation is destroyed. 24 and Falling are the two Mike Phillips penned songs and both of these focus what life without Jesus would look like and repentance from sin. 24 finds it's inspiration in the book of Revelations and describes the prophecies while at the same time offering hope in salvation. Lyrically, this band is refreshing in their lyrical approach because they walk the fine line of truth with gospel while not being overly preachy.

The only down-side to the album is the production on the vocals. To my ear it seems to have a bit too many effects dialed in and this tends to make the vocals muddy and distorted when the band is really playing. After a few listens and when played at a higher volume, this problem is not as noticeable, but at normal levels it really comes out. What made the vocals stand out is the crisp production on the rest of the instruments creating a really odd out-of-balance dynamic. The production on the instruments is outstanding and modern and yet the band has still achieved that classic metal sound.

All-in-all, I find The Sacrificed's III to be a fantastic example of classic metal and what it should sound like. these guys are wearing their influences on their sleeves with pride. They are not out to do something new, rather they are doing what they love musically while still bringing the gospel of truth to a lost world. They do not hedge or waffle but stand up for what they know to be right.