Review: “Awaken In Embers” by Sanctrum

It might be seven long years and seven deadly sins since their last taped confession in EP “Walk With Vermin” but Swedish Groove Thrash crew Sanctrum have been far from quiet between then and now. Formed in Uppsala in 1999 and known for themes of Agony, Death, War with some lyrics in Bosnian, to date the outfit have four demos, two full lengths and an unholy trinity of extended plays to their name, not to mention countless shows, tours and festivals. In 2020 they shared the stage with Entombed AD for what would tragically be the final show of the legendary LG Petrov. Before that, European and UK tours with Rot and afterwards appearances at Malmö Massacre Fest, Sweden Rock Festival and the finals of Wacken Metal Battle Sweden have all been career highlights. The release cycle for EP “Awaken In Embers” which was recorded, mastered and mixed in-house by guitarist Alex Tollin actually began back in the summer of ’69 *ahem* 2023 with the release of single “Sageling“…

While Sanctrum lay in the morgue with a label on their toe tag that reads “Groove Thrash”, in truth, like most Metal bands these days like the Incredible Hulk, they cross sub-genres with regular death defying leaps. Perhaps a more accurate description would be Hardcore Punk infused Death Thrash but ultimately beauty is in the eye of the beholder so go listen to them and if you enjoy it then that’s more important than anything else. Confirming how multi-talented their guitarists are, the artwork for “Awaken In Embers” was done by Viktor Arfwedson. The record gets underway with the title track, a pile driver of a tune to help you breathe more easily with a “Burn My Eyes” era Machine Head style introduction that then bursts into Melodic Death Metal flames with caustic throat shredding vocals from Irfan Cancar. A tour de force of not only the bands career to date but also Metal as a whole, the track has the instant appeal of cold pint of beer on a hot summers day, blending the fierce with the melodic with perfect weightings, using every ounce of their experience and making it count. If In Flames released this track as their own, people would talk about the second coming of the Gothenburg Sound, that’s how good it is. Racing out of Hell’s Gate like a Dungeon Whippet at the Devil’s Dog track “No More” offers up the kind of breakneck speed metal that everyone can enjoy, rattling a few cages with the lyrics at the same time. Pummelling percussion from Oskar Odelbo is conjoined to bombastic bass from Emil Anter and while the band do have a slow down for a chorus to which you can raise a poison chalice and sing-a-long to, overall its lethally effective.

Roots in the 2003 American Metalcore sound that was inspired by the Gothenburg Sound rise to the surface with the savage “Sageling“, a cut that has the feel of “The Oncoming Storm” era Unearth combined with “Yours Truly” era Sick Of It All. Power, purpose and presence makes this a fist pumping anthem between mosh parts, Hardcore Punk elements creeping into the mix as the guitars batter the brains. On paper, it shouldn’t work at all but in reality it’s the kind of tasty treat that you can’t help but crack a smile to while listening. Picking up the pace once more “A Slave Once Again” gets you in a headlock and runs head first into oncoming traffic with an evil grin, the groove laden rhythms instantly addictive. A guest vocal appearance from Tina Gunnarsson of Hexed fame graces “Damnation” giving contrast to the shriller screams of Cancar as staccato riff breaks hammer home the message like nails in a coffin. Her parts may not come until much later on in the track but that does seem to give Cancar more freedom early on as he indulges in a few powerful death growled moments. Mesmerising leads rise up behind Gunnarsson’s lush clean vocals in the final third and when the two vocalist share a combined moment it works incredibly well. Yes, there isn’t much that you won’t have heard elsewhere here but the truth is that its done incredibly well and the only issue with this record is that it’s too short [8/10]

Track Listing

1. Awaken in Embers
2. No More
3. Sageling
4. A Slave Once Again
5. Damnation (ft. Tina Gunnarsson of Hexed)

“Awaken In Embers” by Sanctrum is out 11th April 2025 and is available everywhere you’d expect it to be