Hatred and Disgust

In case you have never heard about Sorrow before, let me say that this band was formed back in 1988 under the name Apparition. As Apparition they recorded a couple of demo tapes (including "Human Fear" demo) and one single "Eternally Forgotten / Curse the Sunrise" in 1990 (for Relapse Records), after which they changed the moniker for Sorrow. Sorrow was shortly lived entity unfortunately and split up already in 1993 - luckily there's no sign of potential reunion, which is a curse among so many old bands nowadays. What Sorrow left behind was "Forgotten Sunrise" EP and "Hatred and Disgust" album. The latter, released in 1992 by Roadrunner Records, seems like slightly forgotten album, don't you think? It would seem that Sorrow had everything within their reach to become popular and big death metal band. They started to record at the highlight of death metal popularity ad got signed to the label, which was also home to some of the biggest names in history - such as Obituary, Death, Deicide, Gorguts, Malevolent Creation and so on. But when you give one listen to either "Forgotten Sunrise" or "Hatred and Disgust" you could quickly hear why Sorrow never has reached the status of these other bands that I just mentioned. Their music wasn't just quite as good as some other records of that time. I'm not saying it was terrible or unlistenable, but it just wasn't the best quality death metal of the old era. Still, it's good and worthy enough to have both CDs in your collection, it's worthy to give them spontaneous and occasional listen once every few years... and it's always cool to save it from being forgotten.

When compared to "Forgotten Sunrise", Sorrow added a second guitarist to their line up. But I cannot say that this more complete line up had any strong impact on how the music sounds. It still is quite simplistic, not overly technical death metal, with a strong doomy vibe, which dominates throughout every song. In many ways I see "Hatred and Disgust" as less impressive and quite slowed down, lazy version of "Leprosy". But not only it lacks the genius of Death riffage or impressive leads, but also the powerful and crushing production, which would help the songs to have massive influence on the listener.

I like quite few of these riffs, I don't even mind that slow pace, which Sorrow seems to be most fond of. Faster section appear in every song, sometimes can even be dominating (like in "Forced Repression") but generally I like how diversity between the tempo changes and riff style has been done here. And songs like "Separative Adjectives" really do sound great and let me think that there was a lot of potential in Sorrow. But the band was dead soon after the album saw the light of the day…

Standout tracks: "Forced Repression", "Separative Adjectives"
Verdict: 70/100

It is strange when you have a band with lyrical concepts that don't go hand and hand with the musical style they are playing. Though the lyricist might see it as a separation to their peers in the genre, really believe they are indeed encompassing equally matched wave-lengths of instruments and voice, or as listeners let's hope that they aren't using the music as a platform or with an ulterior motive. Though I like certain albums that have music that speaks of another nature and words that talk of another unwanted place, time, situation. Brazil's Psychic Possessor had suspiciously big-brother lyrics but harsh music that resonated with death, the Louisianan Incubus had centered straight-outta-the-Holy-Bible lyrics and played a death-thrash style, and even Discharge's debut which projected musical head-cracking, nose-busting, foot-stomping violence, and lyrics that could have been written by the prime minister's youthful misunderstood son. Though bands like Dorsal Atlantica and Death were doing similar concepts prior to this album, and I'm sure that specifically Death had a big influence on the change of direction in Sorrow's music, since the prior band Apparition didn't spread the word in such a direct, tsk-tsk, you-better-act-now, philosophical kind of manner.

'Hatred and Disgust' came out at a time when slowly played music was becoming mixed with extreme metal as a justifiable mode and not just at an experimental standpoint. Also those notes from a previous thrash genre were generally becoming more drawn out and thicker; vocals moving on from a chain-smoker and a throat rasper to a big burly grizzly bear. You had Autopsy at that point with thrash, death and doom influences; Obituary and Paradise Lost with death and doom; Samael and Goatlord with slow and black music; and other varying groups that were inventing and paving the way for eventual genre standards that are looked at today as staple points, and some later people backtracking and listening to material as such hardly bat an eye at a growl, a blast beat, or an intended morbidly oppressed song title or band name.

Personality I: The wrist watch chimes on about the song 'Insatiable'

When I found out through Sorrow that my life as a wrist watch was pointless; time doesn't exist, and like the WB frog, nobody believes I do either. My significance is reduced to tell you how the band ticks my minute and second hands away with slower music, to passing the clock with some escalated gallops and mid-paced momentums. Sorrow brings out multiple additions to their playing, essentially switching up different combinations as the span moves forward and never back. Like in the watch world with gold plated to nylon, clips to velcro, standard to digital, roman numerals to, oh my! Unlike me, this band functions as an inhaler and an exhaler, they steady their breath so you can breathe with anxiety and panic, not knowing exactly which measurement they are going to use next. The guitars strum thick slow notes, some singly played plucks below the top king-string, and also some tremolo riffs that are played at half the normal speed that a death metal band should behave as. They're about as naughty as a female line of jewel studded wrist bands. The guitars are hungry and they feed the drums with some lines and hints as to what the audience would be in for; intermittent double bass gallops are as ferocious as the claps the band hears from the listeners; the drums include some abstract beats as the guitars hanker for a collection of notes. The growled vocals center the instruments and come about as a sort of narration to the dreary paced music. Though the lyrics are found with a few distinct vocal lines, and as a warning, you're about as confused as an extreme metal listener finding his way in a darkened unfamiliar room without an Indiglo button to press.

Personality II: 'Forced Repression' and The Letter "S" Vs The Letter "C"

Some specimens disregard me (the 'S') as the letter in a sentence that hissesss: the one that seems to sing a lisp. But describing this is simple, since Sorrow isn't selfish with their songs, they stand tall with substance, their structures are a slippery snake that can't be submitted.

'C' here. A few conclude I'm an alternate choice to 'Q' and 'S,' and the Germans are conclusive with 'K.' Charging forward, certainly the construction of the track is compelling, containing a low volumed guitar opener, to mid-paced thrash-inspired conditioning and concord, a crawling creation, and then compelling crunchy chugged parts that are comparable to Nevada's Goatlord.

Selling violence and sensory projection, the drums sizzle the atmosphere with self-sufficient maneuvering. Signaling the beginning he uses a sped-up hi-hat as the guitars move with slower momentum. The mid-section sneaks some intermittent [s]licks (C: He's conning you, that's a 'c' word, S: Sorry) on the bell of his hi-hat with a sassy thrashy beat on the snare. The drums also use a simplistic pattern on his toms as the guitars sludge forward much slower. Mmmm, I mean, ssss succulent.

(You're) clamped down by the chattering guitars, now clear away the liquid from your cranium and ask for clemency. He's clever with his climaxes, even coaxing you with a lead that works with cataclysmic whammy and cocksure finger taps. The tone is cold-blooded, its circumference is concentrated; compacted with metal-concordance.

S: Standing back astride, the vocals suppress themselves till the speedier part opens. C: We're consecutive with alliteration, the band counters with rhyming. S: Send Sorrow some sentiments. C: Captivating creations, cascading catalog.

Personality III: The most dedicated activist on 'Illusion of Freedom'

You want to know how serious I am to the planet's probs and dilems? Well, I've got a soy-made wallet full of membership cards to PETA, Greenpeace, UNICEF, Humane Society. Even joined street gangs/pacifist groups, KKK/Black Panthers, anytown bar fly/Alcoholics Anonymous; picketing both sides equally, I just want to come out with a solution. I'm the world's most dedicated activist and I deem the words in this song the manual to all the issues affecting society. Punk bands never had it so good, and now death metal listeners can revel in its preachy glory. This song begins with enough chug to abort fetuses, but has the power to simultaneously give afterlife to resurrected carcases (all I care is that someone is moving around). When you hear him say through his growled gritted government despising teeth, "Freedom of speech exists," I could just give him a high five if it wouldn't kill millions of microbes. The momentum of the song could swim through unpolluted streams and ravens, giving itself will where it pleases, without being inhibited or held back by Man, or its underdog, 'Woman.' Initially they protest with slower beats and their rallying almost becomes inactive since it gets soooo slow, then suddenly a medium on the verge of a faster part to show 'em who's boss of the ecosystem!...I mean of change-ups, right-oh! Both guitarists hand back and forth the torch as to who solos and who sets the background. These dual guitars literally duel as if donations depended on it and their speedy shredding and whammy pulls and stabs would bring in the big bucks. The band does know how to project the right words to a song without annoying the listener, since it is heard clearly even though he's growling. I find the music on the other hand rough and abrasive, slow and demeaning. I would imagine an extreme metal head to disagree with me, but then again I would punch him/heal his wounds, steal his wallet/give it back, drink a beer/ toss it right up. Look at me, I'm just a hopeful fool!

Personality IV: The cult leader tells us the story of 'Human Error'

Gather around ye fellow followers and little leaders, I want to tell you how it all started. Right here and now, I guarantee you'll be transformed into a new person, one fresh with thought and a new perspective after revealing how your precious existence was created from this. What I'm talking about is Sorrow's 'Human Error.' Unbelievable that they are the beginning, the start of it all, right? I didn't hear you: "Right!" Well, believe me or the band members might retract their wishes or my bodyguards 'Bone' and 'Breaker' will intervene. And for all of you that think Sorrow ripped Bony Iommi and his cretins in Blah Sabbath off ("bs" is what it is) with the opening slow and doomy guitar line here, think again! Or my Brain-Wash-O-Matic will show you otherwise. Hey, Breaker stop that guy from trying to leave out the back, I'm not done. The band is balanced in their ways, since in the almost exact middle of the song they use a philosophy that I made up just now called "Yin" and "Yang," one side being nearly slow and the other portion picking up the pace with one of their every other click faster sections. The band also realizes that their chaotic whammy strained solos work with more intensity during their quicker portions. The band uses a neat little section to calm back down their nerves. Sort of like this punch drink I'm passing around now, it will mellow you out...for good, I mean it's good...for you. The cymbals are clasped and the snare is rolled, the guitars bring out techniques that Slayer would be proud of or upset at. And then the band returns to chugging and growled vocal narration that should be remembered in the permanent part of your brain about that other distasteful practice that we don't condone here. RIGHT! right. Has the drink kicked in yet? And Bone make sure to put all of those bank account numbers in my office after everyone's dead...I mean gone...to another place from the liquid nirvana that they are consuming.

Personality V: The strict English grammar teacher on 'Separative Adjectives'

Remember, to! place? p.u.n.c.t.u.a.t.i.o.n. marks* (in) "the right" ^place^ k/ds. I'm an authority figure, but not one who will tell you to eat an apple a day or to chew your food before swallowing. I'm an English teacher, "The" English teacher. The Grammar Coat of Arms bearing Wordlord, the one that demystifies its and it's, they're, their and there, though surely not one who will translate your little notes that might read "I C-U-P," or "You have a dik 4 on your shoulder." Gee, what's a dik 4? har, har, har. No. I'm not that kind of four-year-degree-waving-old-and-kidless-underpaid kind of a person. Now that we've got the Ps, Ms and Ss out of the way, I'll give you a quick lesson in common mispellings, misspellings, oops! The sorrowful(l) band Sorrow is definit(e)ly a(space)lot more pouncing here, playing around with some mischa(-a+ie)vous, unorthodox bee(-e+a)ts and semi-complicated r(h)ythms. Now for a longer lesson in matched-mis words. The coarse guitars produce a medium paced course for the instruments. Death seems to be an influence for a particular mid-way section, though they leave the black-robed Death out of it. Desperate extreme metal head construction workers hold flares, their song writing has flair. The predominately heavy sludging guitar lines are filling to skinny and heavy people alike. Which way to the witches' house? Follow the path, because here and there you'll hear the music, though these tunes will be darker than your toons but more upbeat to the rest, I'll give it a rest and conclude today's lessons. Good luck little stupids, you'll never know what a "separative adjective" is and neither will I! (they don't even know what I'm saying *sigh*)

Personality VI: The Rehabilitated Schizo doing 'Unjustified Reluctance'

Hello ladies and gentlemen, isn't today nice? Just peaceful, I could just tell my life story with trust and logical reasoning, but who couldn't? What, you think I'm CRAZY?! I could cu...give you a thank you card, and it will be signed by all my persona...friends and neighbors. Sorrow did it for me, that's who. I couldn't have done it without 'Unjustified Reluctance' and its longer ten plus minute length to give me the elongated and centered focus I need. Those pills, that medication, it just made things too rigid, though Sorrow seem to give me that "flexible" rotation I need. The band is loose and somewhat basic here, using a build up to begin, some strums and simple palm mutes, and overall a general shift of back and forth slow and medium momentums. The drummer lets his straight jacket go and brings about unconfined additions to the guitarist's maneuvering plucks. On occasion, he manipulates the hi-hat, opening and closing its lid and bringing out extra creativity here. Being more fun than dominoes and finger painting, those activities drive you bonkers. The vocals show up fashionably late to the group meeting, though spout words in his usual emotional way, upsetting all the sensitive patients. The song emits a slow moving solo and then a faster escalation before the album concludes. Though all normal instruments cease and some emulated strings are used and faded out. One more thing to get off my chest: 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' is now my least favorite movie due to braincell tampering and unjustified use of sink carnage. And Jack playing 'Jack' in 'The Shining' is more cabin fever than psychotic, what a rip-off. Well, to put it politely, it's just not my cup of tea anymore. 'What About Bob?,' another ridiculous entry in veiled careerisms and moralism than humor. Oh, you're still reading? Piss off or I've got a seventh personality and he's pretty nasty.

I'm willing to bet very few people have actually heard this band's music, and that is a true shame. Of course, this was yet another band ripped off and thrown into the gutter by the bastards at Roadrunner Records, the label that picked up so many fine death metal acts in the early 90s, then dropped them like so much dross when they realized the label could ride the mallcore wave to notariety. Of course, Sorrow broke up long before then, but the fact that Roadrunner owned the rights to their (and many other bands') releases of course meant that they would never see a reprinting. Certain bands, like Pestilence, have of course been resurrected thanks to the efforts of others who realized their importance to metal and recognized that these albums did not deserve to be buried and forgotten. I hear that even Roadrunner has started doing some rereleases of their back catalogue, which, although too little too late, is at least a step in the right direction. To my knowledge though, sorrow has received no such treatment as yet. The band released an EP a year earlier that was pretty much midpaced to slow thrashy death metal, but to me this is where they got really interesting.

"Hatred and Disgust" is rather like a doomified Slayer. It's almost as if the guys listened to "reign in Blood", said "well, that's really good, but these riffs would absolutely crush if they were downtuned a little and played at a tenth their speed", and promptly went to the studio to record such an album. Of course, Sorrow definitely have their own riffs here, and they are truly pulverizing. This is definitely real doom...no silly gothic overtones, no subtle atmospherics, just behemoth riff after riff played at a plod. Most of these songs do have faster sections, usually given over to extended squealy soloing, again very much calling Slayer to mind. Vocals are a deep, but rather intelligible growl...sort of understated but simultaneously brutal and perfect for the music. There's very little trebble in this mix, and it's got a sort of muffled sound, which i actually like for some reason, even though perhaps it makes things sound a little less heavy than they should. There's definitely some original touches here, such as the guitarists' use of eerie broken chording to introduce songs or to bridge the slower and faster sections. It's nothing intricate or complicated, nor is the rest of this music. It's simple, pounding and to the point, yet i suppose those who crave speed and a myriad of riffs with their metal might become bored with this. The absolute best tracks here are I think "Human Error" and "Unjustified Reluctance". The juggernaut riffs in these two are just massive and left me floored, broken and bleeding.

Again, I have to stress that not everyone will appreciate this. If you enjoy oldschool death metal, you may or may not like this. If the idea of a band like, say, Winter, but much more riff based, appeals to you, track this down, or download it if you have to.