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Rating: We are in 1988 and Sadus is preparing for their discographic debut by releasing "Illusions", initially printed only on vinyl by Sadus Record, and later re-released three years later by RoadRunner under the title "Chemical Exposure".
Globally known for being the right-hand men of Death from the very beginning, to the point that they used the same rehearsal room, they owe a good part of their success to a certain member of the group, a certain Steve DiGiorgio, who left an indelible mark on the metal scene thanks to his sensational performances both with Chuck Schuldiner's band and with other bands of the caliber of Control Denied, Testament, Iced Earth, and many others...
Now let's start talking about the album itself, which can globally be defined as an album that stylistically takes your breath away, presenting itself as a mix between the ultra-fast Thrash proposed by Slayer and the very violent old-school Death that was all the rage among the metalheads of the late '80s. We find four guys who certainly don't need to be asked twice when it's time to thrash, starting from the rhythm section comprised of the possessed John Allen, who behind the drums doesn't even think about slowing down, and the aforementioned Steve D., the real protagonist, who comfortably supports frenetic bass lines, even featuring some explosive solos that demonstrate that the bass in metal isn't just for providing a "frame", not to mention the guitars of Rob Moore and Darren Travis, real shreds, and the voice of the latter, very similar to Tom Araya's in "Reign In Blood", not even remotely a growl, corrosive enough to make an already malevolent album even more wicked.
Just listen to the first few seconds of "Certain Death" to understand how true what I wrote above is: terrifying rhythm changes with brutal accelerations that create a great song... headbanging guaranteed! Not to mention the other two masterpieces like the subsequent "Undead" and the deadly "Torture", but I also have to say that virtually all the songs settle on medium-high levels, making this debut appear as a very good work, even if many don't consider it because they find it sometimes predictable.
Surely the best of the band is yet to come, but, as I said earlier "Chemical Exposure" can ultimately be considered a great album, especially for its significant historical importance, establishing itself as one of the forerunners of progressive Death/Thrash, of which the band will be remembered as one of the absolute dominators of the genre.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Certain Death (04:15)
Loss of Vision
Brain Contusion
Sight and short of Breath
Heartbeat pounding, Pulse is slowing
Light has turned to Black
Excruciating Agony
Have you lost your Will to Live?
Perpetuating Destiny
It's in your Hands to give
Staring at the Crypts of Death
Certain Mortal Perishment
There is no will to give
Existence has reached its End
There is no Perplexity
End of Life's expectancy
Stripped of Life's Vitality
Certain Death
Pressure building inside your Head
Compression pushing to the Red
Limbs are Numb, Control is Lost
Bag of Blood is about to Bust
Searching for the Strength to Grasp
Your Life Span is Flashing Fast
Now your Time has come to Pass
Thickening Blood will now Delay
Pulse has quickened, but too Late
Melting Braincells Die away
Cranium dripping, oozing Gray
Ever lasting Intensity
Perpetuating Destiny
Excruciating Agony
Certain Death
Covered in Gore by Butchery
Constant flowing Ecstasy
Grasping Life
You feel it slip
Death awaits you at the Crypts
There is no Perplexity
End of Life's Expectancy
Stripped of Life's Vitality
Certain Death
02 Undead (04:03)
Emerging from Hell's Dominion
To crawl upon the Land
Mutants of the Holocaust
Lose their Flesh into the Sand
Victims of the wicked World
Pray to the evil Shrine
Brimstone Churches
They all fall in Time
The Undead
Immortality Madness possessed
Feeding on Flesh
Rancid decaying Stench
Vile Stench of Death
Burning rot Decay
Corpses litter Cities
In a silent putrid Array
Maggots fill their Brains
As every Limb must Fall
Submit to the Sewers below
And await the Reaper's Call
The Undead
Immortality Madness possessed
Feeding on Flesh
Rancid decaying Stench
Feed upon the living Flesh
As Blood fills their Eyes
Wishful whims of Life
Our maker hears their Cries
Kingdom of the Dead
Is cast out upon the Ground
Salvation from their Pain
Is nowhere to be found
The Undead
Immortality Madness possessed
Feeding on Flesh
Rancid decaying Stench
Memories of Destruction
Inflicted mortal Wounds
Mists of gaseous Poison
Sullen as it Looms
Immortal Corpses crawling
In Rust and toxic Slime
There is no Death in dying
For those who wish to Die
03 Sadus Attack (01:44)
I can't wait to steal the Stage
To quench my Thirst
For Neon is what I Crave
Throughout the Day
So feed your Face
Sadus will take Control
Steal the Show
Kill them all's
The final Command
ATTACK!
04 Torture (02:25)
We need D.T.P.
Death to posers is what I mean
Stand tall, never Fall
We will Rise to kill them all
There's an Evil in your Brain
Driving you fucking Insane
Torture
Fighting off
The Evil in your Brain
At any Cost
To Release you from this Pain
Death will come
The final Sign will arrive
To torture your Mind
Anybody from deep inside
Torture
Torture
There's an evil in your Brain
Driving you fucking insane
Torture
Fight!
06 Hands of Fate (03:57)
Victims will follow to their Death
Show no Sorrow
Steal their last Breath
Hide in the Shadows to seek out my Prey
Victim's Creator leads them away
Frustrating Desire to watch the Victim die
The ultimate Destiny
Is to rob you of your Life
To die, to kill for the Night
I'll capture the Chosen
Who's trapped in my Sight
No Mercy, no Pity
For the one in my Grasp
Your Days have been numbered
This is your Last
You struggle with your Adversary
Only to be eaten alive
Still hungry for Violence
Perpetual Hunter for Life
A Hunter again to punish the Weak
Craving the Flesh
The meat of the Beast
Strike and Devour
For the Balance of Death
In dominate, terminate
Nature of death
Extinction of Life awaits
Your Destiny at Hand
Hands of Fate grasp you and tighten
Yet only by Chance
Lashing out to Dominate
Your Trust in me is your one Mistake
Life's Blood you're forced to give
Canceling your Life to Live
Spewing liquid Life Form
Clenching Jaws
Blunder to your Fate, you take the Fall
Tearing into your Flesh with wicked Claws
Worm Consumption
Deterioration
Carcass Erosion, Contamination
Decomposition, Mutilation
Equalization of Death and Life
Balance of Death, Balance of Life
Life's prolonged Prerequisite
Is for you to Die
A Hunter again to punish the Weak
Craving the Flesh
The meat of the Beast
Strike and devour
For the Balance of Death
In dominate, terminate
Nature of Death
Extinction of Life awaits
Your destiny at Hand
Hands of Fate grasp you and tighten
Yet only by Chance
07 Twisted Face (02:00)
Twisted mind, twisted Face
There's no rest, endless Race
It's too late to save your Face
From the twisted sons of Hate
In your brain, the vein of Pain
Causes you to twist your Face
Velocity, accelerate
Pressure builds, burning Strain
Mirror skiing for the answer
Your face a twisted Mess
Speeding faster, never Slowing
You know there's no rest
Feel the Rush, urgency
Methamphetamine, can't be Freed
Feel your Heart beat faster faster
Never ending Thrust
Feel your Skull begin to Crush
Your Brain turns into Mush
Crank it up, smell the Rage
Locked within, Cage of Death
Can't slow down, no time to Rest
No way to end this Chase
Your twisted Face, your burning Nose
You die a f**king Disgrace
Twisted Mind, Twisted Face
There's no rest, endless Race
It's too late to save your Face
From the twisted Sons of Hate
In your Brain, the Vein of Pain
Causes you to twist your Face
Velocity, Accelerate
Pressure builds, burning Strain
Mirror skiing for the Answer
Your face a twisted Mess
Speeding faster, never slowing
You know there's no Rest
Twisted Face
Twisted Face
Twisted Face
08 Fight or Die (02:53)
One lonely Man
Picked despite his Will
To fight for his Country
Supposedly Born and Bred to Kill
He was afraid to Die
To Kill, or to Fight
He had the Love of Jesus
Blinded by the Light
You'll Fight or Die
So Dominate, you can't Hide
It's Do or Die, before it's too Late
Far away from Home, his Mission
Is to Kill, there is no
Sanctuary, for the Coward's
Spiteful will, all others they
Will follow, the Leaders of the
Pack
Death is their Future in this
World
The Leaders Scream Attack
You'll Fight or Die
So Dominate, you can't Hide
It's Do or Die, before it's too Late
Smell of Death grows Stronger
As Blood begins to Flow
Every man's a Hunter
And to Kill is all they know
War Machines keep Pushing
Metal falls like Rain
Stench of Bodies Burning
This man has reached his End
This man's war he Lost
And no one's felt the Pain
No mercy and no Sorrow
Only Countries Gained
But far away from home, his
Mission was to kill
Still no Sanctuary, for the Cowards
Spiteful Will
You'll Fight or Die
So Dominate, you can't Hide
It's Do or Die, before it's too Late
09 Illusions (03:50)
Imaginative formations
Taking control of the fears I hide
Intricate creations
Twisting and shaping me from inside
Massive confusion
Constantly veiling my mind's eyes
Into oblivion
Spiraling downward, reaching my demise
Misleading visions
Reflecting figments of what is to be
Forceful delusions
Driving me inward to my mental sea
Optical distortions
Bind me to what I don't know
Repulsive contortions
Blinding me of which way to go
What have I done to reality?
Chaos strangles my sanity
What have I done to reality?
Chaos strangles my sanity
Projected through shadows
Chromatic patterns shift and blur
Dim light shallows
Oppressive darkness becomes obscure
Imprisoned by unreal
Plunged into falseness rapidly
Deceit I feel
Images betray me constantly
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