About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

A good effort from a band still developing their style; worth listening to for the strong musicianship.

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Pros

• Good mix of progressive and thrash forms
• Excellent musicianship
• Strong arrangements

Cons

• Under-developed style makes the music slightly derivative

Description

• Self-published EP released early 2007
• Features four thrash-heavy tunes with an average length of 6 minutes
• Produced by Billy Graziadei of Biohazard and Mike Turner of Vulture

Guide Review - Sanitarius - Eyes to the Soul

Every time I listen to Eyes to the Soul by New York City-based progressive thrashers Sanitarius, one thing always strikes me: how long the songs are. That’s not a slap to the band’s creative ability – the number of mood changes within each lengthy (minimum time: 5:19) track will give you something new to look for every time you listen, making four songs sound like eight or sixteen. Each track flows together, both in the consciousness of the listener and literally – three of the tracks have no breaks – and creates an overarching 23-minute sonic experience. With lyrics that encapsulate the standard thrash themes of global destruction, war and self-alienation, Eyes to the Soul certainly isn’t a concept album, but the progressive influences are as clear in the album’s arrangement as they are in the rhythm changes and the bass runs interspersed through the music.

Equally clear are the influences of thrash gods like Megadeth, Metallica and Testament on this band’s burgeoning sound.

The distorted crunch, the rhythms, the glorious twin guitar lines, the solos, even singer Robb Quartararo’s singing style all owe debts to the great thrash master of the 1980s and it’s clear from this EP that Sanitarius is still a band working to create a style that’s all their own. Whether or not they succeed is a matter for future releases, but Eyes of the Soul is a step in the right direction and worth a listen.

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