Sinister is one of the bands that never disappointed anyone. From their first cult release  "Cross The Styx  (1992) the band has redefined what brutal Death Metal stands for with top-notch quality extreme Death Metal music. Unfortunately, the band called it quits after 16 years of serving and setting highly acclaimed albums, hence placed among top contributors of the whole genre. This Karmaggedon Media re-release (original release on Hammerheart Records - 2001) apart from reminding once again their high-class musical effort, offers the opportunity for some bonus material for the die-hard fans of this specific act. So, added is the 5-track  "Perpetual Damnation  demo (1990), which was the promo recording that originally gave Sinister their reputation and first record deal.
A short bio: Sinister's genesis took place in 1988 by Aad Kloosterwaard (Drums) and Ron Van Der Polder (Guitar). The band's line-up was completed with the addition of Corzas and Mike Van Mastrigt and the  "Perpetual Damnation  demo came in, gaining respect for the band in the underground Death Metal scene and resulting in signing up at Nuclear Blast Records in 1992. Sinister released 5 albums with the German label -  "Cross The Styx  (1992),  "Diabolical Summoning  (1993),  "Hate   (1995),  "Bastard Saints  (1996) and  "Aggressive Measures  (1998) - goin' through various changes in their line-up but still successfully creating quality Brutal Death Metal music plus exceptionally performing live throughout Europe & U.S. tours with a variety of well-known acts like Cannibal Corpse, Deicide & Suffocation.
A remarkable change in the band's status occurred in 2001 as they recorded their 6th album  "Creative Killings  under a new label - now Hammerheart Records - with female front-woman Rachel (ex-Occult) bearing the vocal "load. In spite of the album's undisputed quality, it seems that it didn't work out that well with Hammerheart Records. So the band returned to Nuclear Blast Records with a new record deal and a brand new album -  "Savage Or Grace  (2003) - touring afterwards with fellow Death Metal comrades like Cannibal Corpse and Nile. This was the last release by this talented Dutch extreme outfit, as Sinister surprisingly broke up last April, yet leaving a noteworthy series of recordings, some of them reasonably among all-time Death Metal pantheon.
For the old loyal fans there is not much to be quoted. Most of them had purchased the CD by the time of it's original release (2001). Still, they will definitely get "teased by the bonus  "Perpetual Damnation  demo tracks, one of them being a "Praise Of Death  cover version (what do you mean "by whom? ...). But, for any Death Metal fan lately involved into the genre or in any way not familiar with the band's opuses, in this CD Sinister - and Rachel in personal - do a marvelous job of moving this band forward in ways never thought possible.
In general, the songs are well structured and very distinctive from each other with a well-balanced mix of typical Sinister blast beats and heavy-slow riffs. But, apart from the raw power discharged in every single song (forget the "Relic Of Possession  intro), songs like  "Judicious Murder , Reviving The Dead & the super-hyper cover version of Possessed's  "Storm In My Mind  divine anthem take this band's prospect for bigger and better things to the greatest level of their whole history. The incomparable technique of all members, the virulent atmosphere (great production!) fulfilling all tracks, the violence spurting from the lyric themes, all constituents that make an album adorable are in high level. As for Rachel... forget you have to deal with a female and bow before her a-m-a-z-i-n-g growls, similar to early Chris Barnes' guttural sounds.
'Nuff said! Go grab this CD (if you haven't already), crank up the volume and prepare for a rapid, fiend, volcanic holocaust by a band that poorly didn't manage to gain the reputation and success it truly deserved!!!