***Though they’re often described as Finland’s first heavy metal band, Sarcofagus’ place in the broader context of metal’s emergence in late 1970s and early 1980s is arguably more significant. For perspective, consider the fact that Sarcofagus self-released their first EP in 1979—the same year as Iron Maiden’s Soundhouse Tapes EP. The next year saw the release of not just one, but two full lengths, Cycle of Life and Envoy of Death. Not only did they make an early arrival on the scene, the albums they recorded in 1980 were musically and thematically far ahead of their time. Recorded onto 8-track over three days at Pan Studio in Helsinki, Cycle of Life was an ambitious debut, establishing Sarcofagus among the heaviest bands of that era while simultaneously stretching the bounds of the emergent genre. The first five songs on Cycle of Life form what is essentially a “concept album,” despite only spanning the first side of the record. The songs follow a single narrative, telling the story of a man who, believing himself to be an incarnation of Horus, the ancient Egyptian sky god, is deemed insane and confined in a mental hospital. Pursuing suicide as his only means of escape, he kills himself only to be reincarnated and condemned to suffer life once again. The theme of suicide proved controversial, resulting in at least one claim by a parent, albeit unsubstantiated, that a teenager killed himself after listening to the album. These tracks, written by guitarist Kimmo Kuusniemi—the only consistent...
LP $25.35
06/30/2023
***Pioneering Finnish metal band Sarcofagus first released the "Go to Hell / All Those Lies'' single in 1979, and then quickly released its first two albums in 1980, the very same year in which Iron Maiden released its self-titled debut. The first of these recordings, "Cycle of Life," provided evidence of a talented group that was on the brink of fully defining itself. While it is a worthy accomplishment in its own right, "Cycle of Life'' was to be overshadowed by its imminent successor, "Envoy of Death." Over the span of its first three recordings, Sarcofagus underwent a few lineup changes, which culminated in the quintet of Kuusniemi (guitars), Juha Kiminki (bass), Ari-Pekka Roitto (drums), Esa Kotilainen (keyboards), and Hannu Leidén (vocals) on the second album. Following the "Go to Hell / All Those Lies'' single, the addition of Kotilainen, one of the most accomplished keyboardists in all of Finland, proved to be of essential significance to the band's climactic sound, which had fully developed by the time the second album was recorded. Although it is heavy metal at its core, "Envoy of Death'' also exudes elements of heavy psych, which are often expressed in the atmospheres created by the keyboard passages and the twisted, effect-laden guitar leads. While this sound is easily observed by even the most casual listener, what is perhaps more elusive is the thematic concept that frames the album and gives purpose to each song.
LP $19.95
09/03/2021