Living Sacrifice is the debut studio album by the Christian metal band of the same name, released through R.E.X. Records in 1991. The album exhibited a more thrash metal feel, which was the band's original style. They have switched to a death metal sound in their next two albums before the groove metal/metalcore style they are later known for.
| Living Sacrifice | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1991 1999 (re-release) April 23, 2021 (remastered re-release) | |||
| Studio | Catamount Studios in Cedar Falls, Iowa | |||
| Genre | Christian metal, thrash metal | |||
| Length | 44:39 | |||
| Label | R.E.X., Solid State, Nordic Mission | |||
| Producer | Kurt Bachman, Doug Mann | |||
| Living Sacrifice chronology | ||||
| ||||
Recording history
editLiving Sacrifice formed in 1989 in Little Rock, Arkansas,[1] and released a three-song demo cassette tape, Not Yielding to Ungodly, in 1990.[2] After getting signed to R.E.X. Records, the band mixed and recorded their debut album at Catamount Studios in Cedar Falls, Iowa, which was released in 1991. In 1999, Solid State Records released a reissue of the album. In 2021, Nordic Mission re-released Living Sacrifice with remastered audio for its 30th anniversary.[3]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Jesus Freak Hideout | [5] |
| The Phantom Tollbooth |  [6] |
The album received mixed to positive ratings, with the band being heavily compared to Slayer.[7] Jesus Freak Hideout reviewed the 1999 re-release of the album, giving it a 3.5 star review and stating that "Any fan of metal or Living Sacrifice looking to learn a little metal history would be wise to enroll in Living Sacrifice's self-titled debut."[5] Steve Huey of AllMusic wrote "Living Sacrifice are still honing their style, but the record has a raw bite that will please most death metal fans, even if the subject matter isn't the traditional fare.", giving the album a 3 out of 5-star review.[4]
Track listing
editAll lyrics are written by Living Sacrifice; all music is composed by Living Sacrifice.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Violence" | 3:13 |
| 2. | "Internal Unrest" | 5:24 |
| 3. | "Second Death[a]1" | 3:52 |
| 4. | "Obstruction[b]1" | 5:31 |
| 5. | "Walls of Separation" | 4:14 |
| 6. | "Phargx Imas" | 3:54 |
| 7. | "No Grave Concern" | 4:46 |
| 8. | "Dealing with Ignorance" | 5:14 |
| 9. | "The Prodigal" | 3:44 |
| 10. | "Anorexia Spiritual[b]" | 4:42 |
| Total length: | 44:39 | |
Personnel
edit|
Living Sacrifice
Production
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Additional personnel
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Notes
edit1. "Second Death" and "Obstruction" were combined into a single track on the original 1991 version.
References
edit- ↑ "Living Sacrifice Metal News Over Load - News - Indie Vision Music". www.indievisionmusic.com. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
- ↑ "LIVING SACRIFICE – Living Sacrifice [Remaster] (2021)". Archived from the original on April 26, 2021.
- ↑ "LIVING SACRIFICE: Living Sacrifice CD (30th anniversary) - NORDIC MISSION". www.nordicmission.net. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
- 1 2 Huey, Steve. "Living Sacrifice Review by Steve Huey". AllMusic. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- 1 2 Duncan, Jeremy. "Living Sacrifice, "Living Sacrifice" 1999 review". Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ↑ Spencer, Josh (1999). "A Review by The Phantom Tollbooth". The Phantom Tollbooth. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
- ↑ "Under Construction". shockwavemagazine.com. Retrieved September 28, 2025.