Satan – Atom By Atom

“Atom By Atom” marks the second album for the legendary NWOBHM Satan since their return a few years ago. The good news for fans of the band is that this album largely follows the path forged by their previous record. Many of the same types of melodies and rhythms that the band has used in the past appear on this record, almost to the point where “Atom By Atom” is simply an extension of the previous album.

Perhaps the biggest similarity this album has to the previous one in the production. The guitars still have that incredibly satisfying crunch that sounds distinctly like Satan (one listen to the opening riff of “Ruination” will make this incredibly clear), and they deliver a plethora of riffs and solos. Beyond the guitars, Brian Ross’ epic vocals are the other primary driver of the album. His voice is unmistakable, and he even still manages to throw in a few high-pitched screams (like the one that opens the record). The drumming is also on-point, with the tons of interesting fills, and an overall style that is a bit more laid back, giving all of the instruments room to breathe (the main riff of "My Own God" being a great example of this relaxed style).

The strange part of “Atom By Atom” is that even though the execution is spot-on, it just doesn’t have the same impact that “Life Sentence” did. Perhaps it’s because that album was far more unexpected, and especially given how authentic it managed to sound in 2013, it was a breath of fresh air. This album is more of the same, which is fine, but even the songs don’t stick quite as well. In fact, pretty much every song has a catchy chorus, and some solid riffs, but there’s nothing worth revisiting as often as songs like “Siege Mentality” or “Testimony” from the band’s last album. This album is a little more consistent quality-wise, but its highs are nowhere near as high. That doesn’t stop songs like “The Devil’s Infantry” and “Atom By Atom” from rocking incredibly hard though. It just means that this is a solid addition to their catalogue rather than a career-defining album.

Be sure to check out and like Satan on Facebook!

Highlights

"Fallen Saviour"

"The Devil's Infantry"

"Atom By Atom"

Final Rating

4.0/5 or 80%. 

Written by Scott 

Satan - Life Sentence

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was easily one of the greatest musical movements of all time. It was the most important step in the transition from the hard rock and early heavy metal of the 1970’s to what we know today. Through my historical revisionist perspective, however, I can identify one huge flaw with this movement: it was too obscure. With the exception of a handful of bands, you’ll rarely hear about greats from this era, and their music is extremely difficult to find. It is for this reason that I am only now getting to hear Satan for the first time (and they really aren't even that obscure relative to other bands in the movement). Their comeback record “Life Sentence” literally made my jaw drop from beginning to end.

As soon as this album opens you’ll notice how skilled the guitar plays are. “Time To Die” is a great example of how guitarwork can be technical without sounding like a Malmsteen clone. Adding in leads underneath the verses also helps to break the simplicity of a standard song structure. As you progress through “Life Sentence”, the shredtastic theme continues. This record reminds me a lot of albums like Kill ‘em All, or any number of Saxon or Black Sabbath albums because the guitarists are completely unhinged. It truly feels like it’s 1983 when you are listening to this. Perhaps my favourite part of this record is that, if listening with headphones, you can clearly hear how each guitar is recorded. Both guitars have a slightly different tone, and it is very reminiscent of the way things were done in the 80's. That nostalgic feel is aided by the old-school production. “Life Sentence” isn’t overbearingly loud, and the guitars don’t sound mechanical. It’s very clear that the band spent a lot of time working on getting the ideal tones for their guitars, and it compliments the riffs perfectly. Aside from the guitars, I really enjoyed the vocals of Brian Ross. He tends to stay in an upper-mid range, but his voice has a lot of character. Ross’ singing tone lends itself to that feel of impending dread. This is most noticeable on “Twenty Twenty Five”, but his performance is solid on every track. In terms of songwriting, Satan does an excellent job of making each track different. After the first listen, I can assure you that at the least, a couple of songs will stick with you. None of these songs stand out in a bad way, so it will mostly come down to which melodies and riffs interest you most. For me, those happen to be on “Time To Die”, “Twenty Twenty Five”, and the charging “Siege Mentality”, but you can’t go wrong with any of these songs.

“Life Sentence” is one of the most surprising records of the year. Satan was always a band I planned to hear eventually, but this record is proof that I should have listened to them earlier. “Life Sentence” is an energetic, old-school lesson in how to play heavy metal, from what I can only assume were one of the genres best bands!

Be sure to check out and like Satan on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/officialsatanpage?fref=ts

Highlights

"Time To Die"

"Twenty Twenty Five"

"Siege Mentality"

Final Rating

4.5/5 or 90%. 

Written by Scott