remastered version of SACRED WARRIOR‘s “Obsessions“, regarded as one of the best melodic metal / progressive / hard rock albums from the early ’90s, mixing Quensryche-style huge lead vocals, Crimson Glory’s grandeur and a big polished production.
Limited to 500 units, ”Obsessions” has been gloriously remastered and while many fans might not believe much else could be added to this album to make it better from an audio standpoint, J. Powell at Steinhaus Mastering has managed to add a sonic crispness and punch that makes the walls reverberate.
These US metallic anthems have retained their power and relevance for nearly 30 years – a testament to the legacy of Sacred Warrior – and now they sound wonderfully fresh and revitalized.
Kicking off with “Wings of a Dream,” a showcase for the driving guitar work of Bruce Swift and John Johnson and the soaring vocals of Rey Parra, the band shifts smoothly into the moody “Sweet Memories,” which features some nice acoustic picking. Once again, Parra’s soulful voice (particularly his Geoff Tate-esque high end) is used effectively.
The hard charging title track warns against addictions of all types, and occasionally borders on classic 80s metal.
The band keeps the gas pedal floored on the hyperactive “Kamikaze,” and then their progressive tendencies come through again on the slow, somber “Remember Me”, with a Operation: Mindcrime feeling.
Things heavy up once more with the pounding “Fire From Heaven,” a stern warning that God’s patience are not infinite and he will eventually cleanse the earth with flame. “Temples On Fire” is a straight forward hard rocking cut with a groovy rhythm section and sharp guitars.
Then I hear echoes of the Judas Priest classic ‘The Ripper’ on the album’s six-minute-plus closing epic “Mad Man,” while on the midtempo break there’s a Crimson Glory atmosphere.
To sum it up, 1991’s ”Obsessions” is a classy slab of heavy, melodic “you better turn or you’re gonna burn” US metal / hard rock that still sounds pretty damn good all these years later.
Indeed, this is one of that timeless sounding albums that you never get tired of.
01 – Wings Of A Dream
02 – Sweet Memories
03 – Turning Back
04 – Obsessions
05 – Kamikaze
06 – Remember Me
07 – Fire From Heaven
08 – Temples On Fire
09 – Mad Man
Lead Vocals – Rey Parra
Bass, Keyboards – Steve Watkins
Drums, Backing Vocals – Tony Velasquez
Guitars, Backing Vocals – Bruce Swift
Guitars – John Johnson
Backing Vocals – Chuck Kawal, LaLa Parra, Rick Tratar, Scott Bahry, Steve Moss, Steve Watkins, Tim McGovern
SACRED WARRIOR – Obsessions [Remastered / 500 copies] (2019), MP3+FLAC
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