Sarkasm - Carnival of Atrocities

Canadian death/thrash legends Sarkasm have returned once more with their second full-length album, “Carnival of Atrocities.”  After spending the 90’s pushing out demos, the band finally debuted their first full-length in 2023.  

Admittedly, thrash metal isn’t a genre that I keep up with as I just find it has such a low number of quality bands and releases.  It seems everyone and their grandmother is putting out a thrash album and most of them sound like, well, someone’s grandmother putting out a thrash metal album.  But I don’t hate the genre and I will always give credit where it is due—and “Carnival of Atrocities,” deserves a lot of credit because it’s just, simply put, a damn good album.  

What sets this album apart from both the old guard bands and all the new ones is that its so heavy.  Yes, speed is a factor but their sound forgoes the paper thin riffs for guitars with real heft and crunch to them.   The bass is also beefy and rivals the guitars for thickness and sheer density.   The band isn’t just all about speed—they provide actual songs with purpose instead of trying to get from beginning to end as quickly as possible. 

The production goes a long way—it doesn’t sound overly clean but it is well produced with a great mix.  Each instrument is planet heavy but they can all be heard without having to strain the ears.   The more melodic parts of the song really shine because those melodies are bright but the moment’s they live in are still razor sharp because the mix boosts the rhythm to another level. 

I also appreciate the band doesn’t try to be anything more than it is.  Although their playing is expert level, there isn’t anything progressive or flashy to be found here.  No interludes, intros, outros, or passages of widdly wham. This is 8 songs and 36 minutes of well-written death/thrash, nothing less and nothing more. 

The album opens with “I Am Chaos,” which begins with surprisingly clean and gentle tones. Like a nuclear blast wiping a city off the map, that quickly goes away with fast riffs and a hellish yell.  Bruno isn’t going to win vocalist of the year but he’s more than capable for the band’s style; he reminds me of Tom Araya but more venomous. The song is pretty catchy and offers several mid-paced moments where the riffs sink in before letting loose like an animal finally uncaged.

I like the slow beginning of “Echoes of Hyperion,” it’s ominous and transitions to the frantic parts well, bolstered by the bass guitar.  This is an unrelenting song; a short but sweet solo whips through like a down but still live electric wire, setting off a spark that pushes the band into a world of nonstop punishment.   This song exemplifies that aspect of the album too: never ending, crushing death thrash. 

“Hateful, Spiteful, and Vengeful,” is one of my favorite songs on the album—I like it when the band dials back the tempo like they do in the beginning because they handle those tempos just as well as the faster ones.  There are little flourishes of melody throughout the rapid fire notes, little details like that make the song stand out. The song ends on a blistering passage consisting of a ripping solo and unbudgeable riffs.

“Dead Weight,” is the final song and my favorite on the album.  The tone of the instruments is sinister as hell and the first thirty seconds are fantastic, what with the yelling shooting over the rampaging music.  The riffs remain catchy throughout even when the band embraces their death metal side. 

I love it when old-school bands still  have the fervor and energy of their past legacy. “Carnival of Atrocities,” proves that Sarkasm are still bringing it—-and won’t be letting it go. 

Rating:  Solid