Sadistic Intent: Conflict Within (1989)

When I was in high school, I bought an issue of Metal Maniacs magazine.  I remember poring over the magazine and considering how to track down some of the releases.  I remember that there was a way to order some of the Sadistic Intent demos in it, and man, I really wish I had done so at the time, because they are damn hard to come by now.

Next to Hellhammer, Sadistic Intent is probably one the most famous extreme metal bands who never actually released a full-length album.  The band was formed by the Cortez brothers, Bay on bass and vocals and Rick on guitars, after Possessed disbanded.  The band has been active sporadically and still releases material to this day, but no full-lengths.

This demo is the band's second and their first true demo, their first was a rehearsal technically.  The demo founds a band who is raw and intense, yet polished to the point that it is clear that the band has had considerable experience.  The release basically picks up where Possessed dropped off after The Eyes of Horror.  It is a more defined death metal sound, but still sounds thrashy in places.  This was released in 1989 after all, death metal was not quite its own genre at this point in time.

The production is actually quite impressive on this release, particularly for an early demo by a band.  The instruments are clear and shine through clearly.  What results is a very impressive demo.  It is still shocking that Sadistic Intent never put out a full-length.  It would have been a classic.