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SADUS
The Shadow Inside

Nuclear Blast (2023)
Rating: 7.5/10

I never thought I’d be reviewing a new Sadus album in 2023. Alongside Vio-lence, Sadus were my favourite 80s thrash act – a band so vicious, seething and criminally underrated – and now, decades later along with Vio-lence, they have returned.

It could be argued that even though their last album, Out For Blood, was released in 2006, that Sadus were more on hold rather than defunct. It is claimed that founder members Darren Travis (vocals and guitar) and Jon Allen (drums) had been working on material for some time, and the result is The Shadow Inside, the band’s sixth outing. But before I tuck in and dissect the album I think we need to firstly address the elephant in the room which is the glaring absence of bass player Steve DiGiorgio, and it’s certainly fair to say that this album sorely lacks DiGiorgio’s enigmatic plucks and twists. Travis takes care of bass duties here and he does a more than adequate job, but is a world away from the DiGiorgio masterclasses.

The album begins with ‘First Blood’, a ripping torrent of the expected dry, scathing vocals and spiteful riffs. Of course, even with its malice, it’s not the Sadus of old because the California-based band have already written that rule book and in a sense that means that whichever sonic battering ram they employ Sadus become a tad repetitive. However, thrash metal is a genre that cannot escape its past, so riffs may get recycled and snarling words just cannot have the same impact as before. That’s not to say I’m disappointed in this new album as it’s still very much Sadus, but as we have witnessed with numerous recent releases (Vio-lence, Toxik, Xentrix, etc.) they almost seem disposable after initial excitement.

Strangely, with all of its sneering, The Shadow Inside reminds me of a meeting with that once cool n’ wild friend whose sharp edges have now been firmly rounded. By this, I mean that certain tracks sound like safe jogs rather than frenzied and dangerous sprints. ‘The Devil In Me’, ‘Scorched And Burnt’ and ‘Pain’ are prime examples of such safe, mid-tempo grooves, although in contrast ‘Anarchy’ and ‘Ride The Knife’ find Sadus back in that swirling tumult we so crave. Jon Allen’s percussion zips with a frantic fury on both tracks and he is as equally venomous on ‘It’s The Sickness’.

However, after repeated listens I’m still favouring a lot of the current South American death-thrash just due to its ability to remain freshly hostile but with a strong nod to the 80s underground scene. That isn’t to say that Sadus has missed the boat here, but more so steadied the ship after the underwhelming slap of their last offering Out For Blood. The riffs remain twisted and barbed, the dehydrated vocals continue to mock and Allen’s drums scrape down to bone. This is Sadus doing what they know, only this time round I simply require cream for the wound rather than a lengthy stay in hospital.

Neil Arnold

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