Album Review: Living Sacrifice - 'The Infinite Order'

It is fair to say, contemporary Christian metal heavyweights namely As I Lay Dying, August Burns Red and Demon Hunter owe a great deal to Living Sacrifice. The enduring heavy metal quartet have carved, paved and led the way for the best part of twenty-one years with their honest and no-nonsense approach to writing and performing heavy music.

Before there were sub-genres for sub-genres themselves, Living Sacrifice was proving death metal was not a genre inherently reserved for musical heathens. When you hail from a place like Little Rock, Arkansas, one could argue playing music is the only way to maintain a semblance of sanity. Returning after an eight-year hiatus, seventh studio album entitled ‘The Infinite Order’ is a quiet achiever. There is no overt advertising or media attention coming Living Sacrifice’s way nor are there any grandiose claims that this album will reinvent the metal landscape.

This no fuss, hands-on approach is reflected explicitly in the music. The tried and true adage ‘let the music do the talking’ seems almost apt in this case. Opener ‘Overkill Exposure’ contains the band’s old-school sensibilities, with a thrash styled rhythm section combining with some more modern abrasive elements. ‘Nietzsche’s Madness’ is heavy and controlled while ‘They Were One’ is unyielding with its solid riffs and guttural growls courtesy of Bruce Fitzhugh.

Concurrently, the production quality is clean and polished with each song blending together well to form a cohesive sound – it is clear and precise with no musical incongruity.

‘The Infinite Order’ more than holds it own. The album certainly won’t be breaking down many doors but it is nevertheless consistent, genuine and assured. The album is a reflection of a band that has found their musical niche and as a result is comfortable in their own skin.

After twenty-one years, there is no need to alter the Living Sacrifice sound. ‘The Infinite Order’ is consistently refined, reflecting a mature approach to song writing that is both structured and distinct. This offering probably won’t factor in the top tier of 2010’s heavy releases but it is certainly not far off.

1. Overkill Exposure

2. Rules of Engagement

3. Nietzsche’s Madness

4. Unfit to Live

5. The Training

6. Organized Lie

7. The Reckoning

8. Love Forgives

9. They Were One

10. God Is My Home

11. Apostasy