Forward to Termination

When Sacrifice released their debut album "Torment In Fire" in 1986, reactions were really encouraging, at home in Canada as well as globally. Consequently Rob Urbinati (vocals, guitar), Joe Rico (guitar), Scott Watts (bass) and Gus Pynn (drums) wasted not time in recording the follow-up. "Forward To Termination" saw the light of day not even twelve months later in 1987 (again on Fringe Product). It was the band's mentor Brian Taylor who thought it would be best if the band was striking the iron while it's still hot. So before 1986 ended, Sacrifice went into a basement studio to demo a selection of new compositions. Guitarist and singer Rob Urbinati explains: "We were excited to hear how they would sound, it felt like we were taking a big step forward." During this session the band also recorded Discharge's "Possibilities Of Life's Destruction", however, the song did not end up on the finished album. When "Forward To Termination" was issued a short while later, everybody in the band preferred it over "Torment In Fire". For Rob Urbinati it was "vastly superior, we felt it then and now." Joe Rico even goes one step further: "For me it was night and day. The musicianship and songwriting on "Forward To Termination" was more the direction we wanted to go and always really wanted to be." The album was also released internationally this time around, being licensed by Roadrunner in Europe and Metal Blade in the States. As a result, the feedback was much healthier. Today all around the world Sacrifice are hailed as a cult band, their two albums being regarded as raw thrash metal classics. Singer and guitarist Rob Urbinati wouldn't have it any other way: "Our music is honest music. We are not a band trying to be the next huge thing. It's a band playing what they want on their own terms and saying fuck you to anyone who doesn't get it. This was for our people. All the ones who wanted faster and heavier metal. We wanted that too, so we made it. Sacrifice is the last classic thrash band with the original line-up still intact. We are like family. None of us are virtuosos individually, but if you put the four of us together, we will burn the place to the fucking ground."