Praxis - Sacrifist (8 tracks) +Album Reviews

My Fave Praxis

07/06/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"OK, be warned, there's no funk here, it's HEAVY, LOUD and abrasive. The Painkiller edge is a great addition to the intensity. The solo organ track 'Crossing' is the only respite from the aural assault. 'Rivit' grinds, thumps and blares in glorious pain. 'Cold Rolled/Iron Dub' mixes Laswell's Dub taste with Eye's free vocal shreiks. Highly recommended."

Heaviness is where you find it, and you'll find it here.

Shane Carey | Phoenix, AZ USA | 07/31/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Heaviness as a musical concept has never been probed so thoroughly and with such diversity as on this recording. The first four tracks are, to me, an evolving suite of heavy rock, one which keeps finding new ways to slam a listener's head in a car door by combining chugging guitar riffs, various approaches to metal, punk, and industrial rhythm tracks, and the twin screams of John Zorn's sax and Yamatsuka Eye's surely bleeding vocal cords. That suite, however, merely serves as a launching point for the exploration which follows. There is spacy heaviness between the notes of "Death Star"'s stereo pair of pentatonic bass solos; subtly menacing heaviness in the washes of off-white noise threatening to take the foreground away from the rock organ in "Crossing", or in the creepy-crawly pizzicato string breaks between chunks of punk swagger of "Nine Secrets"; even, in the deep groove of "The Hook", danceable heaviness.I would actually recommend that a first-time listener listen to the songs in random order until the impact of the entire CD sinks in, because I've had this disc for years and I still let the suite put me in a metalesque mindset that sets my expectations exactly the wrong way to suddenly find myself floating weightless for the fifth song. Continuity and expectation conspire against a good first impression of this disc. But persistence will be rewarded: this disc succeeds, sonically, texturally, artistically, in challenging and elaborating our notions of heavy music."

The most controversial Praxis

M. Ryan Fairbanks | Cleveland, Ohio | 01/07/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Sacrifist is an interesting release from the bizarro supergroup Praxis. One half of the fans will say that it ranks right up there with Metatron, the other half will say that it's a mish mash of nonsense. I personally enjoy the album, but to be honest I will not defend its obvious imperfections. As a follow up to the legendary Transmutation album, I do not question or blame those who didn't care for Sacrifist.

Sporting some bizarre and somewhat disturbing cover art, (what appears to be some type of ritual over a corpse), Sacrifist contains some music that matches the artwork. Gone is the clear production from Transmutation, the sound of Sacrifist is very raw and gritty. Gone are Bootsy's smooth funk bass grooves and Brain's hip hop-esque beats that made Transmutation a favorite. Instead we are met with a dark, pulse pounding metal sound complete with double bass madness and Bucketead shredding it up, (Not that Buckethead didn't shred it up on the previous disc). Add to that a screeching out of key saxaphone courtesy of John Zorn and the blood curdling screams of Yamatsuka Eye, you've got Sacrifist!

After the thrash sounding opener "Stronghold", we move on to the more funky "Cold Rolled/Iron Dub" which is a bit more remniscent of Transmutation. Other standouts include the mechanical and almost hypnotizing rythm of "Rivet", the Bootsy space bass solo "The Hook", and Bernie Worell's keyboard solo outro song, "Crossing". Although the sound is overall metal/thrash, Sacrifist does tread into a lot of industrial sounding passages as well as funkier parts as well. So...Yeah, we're dealing with something a little different here.

Needless to say Sacrifist is an entirely different animal than Transmutation and it may very well satisfy some fans as well as leaving others in the dust. I'd say save this one for last on your list of Praxis purchases, however it is worth a listen if you can live with experimental type music.

"

The Darker Side of Praxis

M. Ryan Fairbanks | 05/30/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If Praxis and Painkiller got together to make an album the result would most definately be "Sacrifist". The addition of Mick Harris, John Zorn, Yamatsuka Eye and Blind Idiot God to the Praxis roster give this album its harder, darker edge. Zorn has his squealing sax, Mick Harris drums like no tomorrow and adds some vocals here and there, Eye yelps, cries and screams his head off and Blind Idiot God add interesting musical nuances on "Cold Rolled/Iron Dub". Given my extreme like of metal/grindcore I latched onto this album pretty quickly. The bottom line is, if you're a Praxis fan and you dig metal or extreme music in any form then chances are you will like this album. If you are expecting another "Transmutation" then steer clear of "Sacrifist". It ain't jazz, it ain't funk but it's way out there...........An interesting side note: the guitar riffs Buckethead plays on the song "Nine Secrets" were taken from the Sepultura song "Arise"."

In Defense of 'Sacrifist'

Devan | Astoria, OR | 06/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm certain that 90% of the world's population would scratch their heads if I ever brought up Praxis in a conversation. I won't elaborate on what Praxis is since anyone with an open mind and an Internet connection can just put the name into a search engine, but I will say that Praxis has never operated within the confines of a band per se. After all, Bill Laswell and Buckethead have always been at the core of Praxis' endeavors (I can't tell you how many times the hands have changed from album to album and even tour to tour). I think that's why their "biggest" outing was 'Trasmutation'. While it is arguable that Praxis defies definition, its diversity was on full display in its most concentrated, albeit conherent, form on said record. You had Bootsy Collins' space bass, Buckethead's mind-numbing guitar licks, and Brain's turntable horseplay to savor on every level. However, die-hards always ignore and/or sometimes attack Praxis' sophomore offering, 'Sacrifist'.

It is because of these attacks that I must speak up for 'Sacrifist' for my own sake, if not for the sake of those impressionable listeners yet to hear the beauty that is 'Sacrifist'. I will say that it is not Praxis' best album, but it is an extraordinary work of art that accomplishes what few works of art manage to do: it divides the audience. I believe that if an album, book, or film is universally praised, it can't be considered art since there is no dissenting voice to challenge its merits. However, 'Sacrifist' has been called weak, messy, confusing, and unlistenable. I am here to say that 'Sacrifist' is all of those things and much more, but what disturbs me are the reviews that imply the lack of redeeming qualities or underlying genius.

Bill Laswell put together a supergroup for 'Sacrifist' in the same context that a depressed housewife loads the best contents of her freezer into a blender for one hell of a delicious (yet fattening) shake. Bootsy Collins, Buckethead, John Zorn, Yamatsuka Eye, Bernie Worrell, and Mick Harris are present on one disc, and the results are controversial. For instance, the whole mood of 'Sacrifist is summed up in 1 minute and 34 seconds by the opening number, 'Stronghold', which is punctuated by meandering sax notes, speed drumming, insane guitarwork, the unrelenting grind of a buzz saw, and the viscious banshee calls of Yamatsuka Eye (who sounds like a troll hopped up on Mountain Dew and PCP). 'Stronghold' soon gives way to a schizophrenic medley reminiscent of the late 70's Canterberry movement, and it is at that point where 'Sacrifist' may put listeners in an uncomfortable position due to its unpredictability. After all, it's hard to pigeonhole the merits of a record that contains speed metal, snippets of jazz, industrial grooves, and psychodelic Hammond organs. So while 'Stronghold' may lead you to decide if the remaining 8 songs are worthy of your attention, the rest of the album is surprisingly progressive and diverse, hence the error in judgement that many critics and elitists reserve when scrutinizing the record as a whole. In fact, if it weren't for the presence of Bootsy and Zorn, I'm sure the critics would have ripped it apart, but such a notion would be a disservice to the other musicians. To be honest, I found the blood-curdling screams of Yamatsuka Eye to be charming and in some instances, hilarious. The absence of Brain is unfortunate, but the unique stylings of Bernie Worrell make up for that in spades.

'Sacrifist' is a short disc, but nothing short of sweet. Each musician featured on the disc is given a chance to shine in his own way, and whether you walk away from the record with a smile or a grimace, you'll be glad you paid 'Sacrifist' a visit. There hasn't been nor will there ever be anything like it."

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