Sarkasm “Carnival Of Atrocities”
From the Cambrian explosion of death metal and thrash that occurred globally between the 80’s and 90’s, there have been many bands that, for better or for worse, were a flash in the pan. Many metalheads however, judge longevity differently than other music fans and are quick to give singular demos, EPs, and LPs “legendary” status for their significance in the scene at the time of their release. Focusing in on the Canadian metal scene, the province of Québec is rich with metal history and were major contributors to both genres in the early decades. A group of teenagers formed a death thrash band originally named Traumatism in 1990 before releasing their debut demo in 1991 and rebranding as Sarkasm. Interestingly, the quintet only ended up releasing a second demo the following year and called it quits. Some of the members went on to pursue other musical endeavors while the rest focused on their private lives outside of music. Fast forward 31 years and Sarkasm have been resurrected with their original lineup; a welcomed rarity!
Musically, their demos have a grimy early 90’s production that sit between a blend of Gorguts and Obituary; a death- forward style that incorporates groove, thrash, and playful dynamic shifts that give each song a Death-like proggy edge. Going back and listening to both Incubated Mind (1991) and Inner Flame (1992) I would agree that these two demos deserve to be canonized into legendary status within the death thrash movement in Canada. Naturally, this begs the question, what direction has this new era of Sarkasm taken? Have they continued in their old school style or chosen to update their sound towards modern sensibilities? Their official comeback took place in 2023 and was marked by the release of their first full length entitled As Empires Decay on Xtreem Music. One can clearly hear that the production style had modernized and taken a cleaner approach with a bass-heavy mix. Overall, this album still sounds like the Sarkasm of old and served to build a bridge between old fans and new fans. Today, the second full length offering has been unleashed and we’re taken in a slightly different direction.
Carnival Of Atrocities is an eight song ripper that leans more heavily on the groove metal side of the spectrum. Rather than focusing on old school death metal or blistering fast thrash passages. This is an interesting choice, because it seems to have allowed every member to express more dynamics in their instrumentation while still creating well composed songs with multiple movements within them. These songs individually flow well and do not feel bloated with ideas, riffs, and fan service but instead feel like they were thoughtfully crafted. As an album, the 35 minute groove train rolls on with ease leaving you with some memorable moments and an overall pleasant experience.
One of the stand out tracks is “Murmurs From the Void” because it contrasts the hallmark death thrash sound with a more atmospheric outro and melodic solo, something not yet heard in Sarkasm’s discography in such a pronounced way. I also want to note the clever use of Bruno Bernier’s whispered vocals that pan left and right during the atmospheric passages which accents the song’s title. Dave Bouchard’s bass chops are also on full display on the track. A thick and bouncy old school tone that supports the main riffs well, but shines even more during the atmospheric portion and the bass solo ending. The following song, and main single, “Echoes of Hyperion” also has some unique moments that are newer to the arsenal of the band. First of all, the intro boasts a highly effective jungle beat pattern that opens into a mid-tempo groove, but then morphs into small pockets of black metal style blast beats. Simon Thibodeau’s drumming throughout the songs is creative when it can be and rock solid when it needs to be, the mark of a musician with flair and control.
The guitar riffs and tastefully placed solos are plentiful throughout the album and shine the most on the song “Hateful, Spiteful, Vengeful” as they balance out their signature death/thrash sound with their groove metal modernity. Admittedly, the main riff is one of the fastest on the album though the dual guitar passages that sandwich the main riff, and especially the tail end of the song, are a delight to hear. François Dubuc and Yves Parent masterfully shift from mid tempo bended riffs to thrashy passages and add dynamic bridges between new riff ideas that keep the listener engaged, wondering where they will be taking this next.
This resurrected version of Sarkasm is still capable of producing solid tracks that still have their old school backbone. Furthermore, their desire to explore a more groovy side on Carnival Of Atrocities is a bold choice that I hope garners the attention of new fans and gives old fans something different to chew on. These guys went from being a flash in the pan to a phoenix rising back from ashes. Although keeping an old school production would have been preferred for my taste, their stellar composition abilities speak for themselves.
SCORE: 3.5 / 5
FFO: Obliveon, Obituary, Gorguts (early)
You can order your physical or digital copy on Xtreem Music’s Bandcamp today.
