23 years is a long time to wait for a new album.
Satan made us wait 26 years between Suspended Sentence and Life Sentence. Angel Witch gave us the same lengthy gap between Frontal Assault and As Above, So Below. Both waits were worth it—each band produced material that easily stood alongside their illustrious earlier albums, marking triumphant returns to form. In contrast, the mighty proto-metallers Sir Lord Baltimore waited 34 years between their self-titled 1971 album and 2006's disappointing Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw. Happily, we can now add The Obsessed to their esteemed company., with a brand-new album (and a new music video to match, both of which are streaming below!)With 23 years spanning between 94's The Church Within (admittedly, their weakest offering) and the brand new Sacred, the band ran the distinct risk of falling flat. Instead, Sacred delivers the band's trademark bouncy punk-meets-doom vibe, complete with bluesy solos, thundering drums, and bandleader Scott 'Wino' Weinrich's drawling voice. Although the cover of Thin Lizzy's "It's Only Money" disappoint due to its goofy approach, the remainder of the album crackles and sparks, sizzling with a life-in-the-fast lane attitude and atmosphere.
Despite the lineup changing numerous times, and the band's official reunion-slash-reincarnation being a product of unfortunate circumstances (see: Wino being sent back to the USA after a drug-related mishap in Norway that likely condemned him to remain in the United States for the indefinite future, and led to his departure from Saint Vitus), it's had no negative effect on the tunes. Instead, the Obsessed has—thankfully—barely evolved, instead sticking with what they know… and it's glorious. Hear the album below, and then snag it from Relapse Records.
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Sarah Kitteringham is doomed on Instagram.