Conceived in Fire

Album Review

Of all the metalcore bands that have come and gone over the span of the genre's history, Living Sacrifice has remained a band who never showed a sign of weakness. This is a band who, time and time again, release superior metal albums, always providing above-average albums over their decade as a band. Many proclaimed 2000's The Hammering Process as the group's ultimate release, and, in fact, one of the genre's best offerings that year. Those who doubted Living Sacrifice had the ability to deliver an album of that magnitude ever again, much less on the heels of The Hammering Process' surprising cult success, need only listen to Conceived in Fire. Once again, Living Sacrifice have outdone themselves, serving up some of the meatiest metalcore of 2002 with confidence and style. The 13 tracks that comprise Conceived in Fire feel less like individual achievements and more like one continuous proclamation of all which is brutal. Thundering drum dominance courtesy of Lance Garvin, one of the scene's most underrated performers, spearheads an album of exquisite malevolence. This intense anger is directed in a number of ways, be it the continued threat of battle among opposing countries ("Imminent War"), the lingering pain of past mistakes ("Send Your Regrets"), or the agony of one's faith ("The Martyr"), Living Sacrifice performs with a passion and determination unrivaled by their peers in the hardcore/metal community. The transformation the band has gone through is simply amazing, evolving from a solid death metal band into one of the new millennium's most inspirational leaders of heavy music, and once again these five men prove exactly why they are widely considered the best hardcore/metal band slaughtering fans across the country. Living Sacrifice's undeniable talent matched with Barry Poynter's vicious production skill has succeeded yet again, conceiving a record that matches the spectacular The Hammering Process at every turn. ~ Jason D. Taylor, Rovi