In a musical landscape where labels like Neurot and Hydra Head seem
to sign one instrumental metal act a month, only to watch them quickly
fizzle out, it says something that a band like Stinking Lizaveta has
been part of the game since 1994. Even a cursory listen to the trio
will indicate how their longevity has been possible. Like Mastodon,
they don’t restrict themselves to one of metal’s many sub-genres.
Instead, Sacrifice and Bliss touches on everything from
psych-metal swirls and Primus playfulness to post-rock tension and
brutal drudgery. The group is up on its metal history too, referencing
stalwarts as diverse as Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Living Colour
(tell me that riff in “Zeitgeist the Movie” doesn’t remind you of “Cult
of Personality.”) Even instrumental detractors who can’t deal with
five-minute solos or 10-minute opuses won’t find much to complain about
here. Most songs clock in under four minutes and pack enough variation
to keep the ADD at bay.
— Matt Whelihan
This article appears in Apr 8-14, 2009.
