Worship Metal Celebrates 35 Years Of History Of A Time To Come….The UK’s Greatest Ever Thrash Album!

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Released on January 15th 1988, there are too few superlatives to convey the true majesty of Sabbat‘s History Of A Time To Come, the UK’s finest ever thrash album…..and one of the greatest achievements in thrash history!

Regardless of birthplace, Nottingham’s Sabbat were one of the most unique bands in thrash history. Although short-lived, their overall contribution to the scene remains unparalleled and they are still revered as visionary masters of their craft.

Propelled by the ingenious riffs of producer extraordinaire Andy Sneap (now shredding with NWOBHM survivors Hell) and Martin Walkyier’s uniquely unfettered and untameable vocals, Sabbat‘s philosophically pagan take on religion was groundbreakingly raw and real; an honest summation of the world and its failings.

The opening tracks, “A Cautionary Tale”, “Hosanna In Excelsis” & Behind The Crooked Cross” remain exemplary, a triumvirate of thrash perfection that flawlessly encapsulated Sabbat‘s religion-baiting sound. Expertly played hyper speed thrash jostled with Walkyier’s warp speed delivery, a vocal style that was not only razor-sharp, but rooted in mysticism, the occult, medieval history and religion and delivered via a unique blend of proto-black metal shrieks and growls.

The UK finally had a band with a sound of its own and a sound intrinsically tied to the pagan history of the UK. However, it was the intelligence on display that truly ranked Sabbat as one of the genre’s all time greats. History Of A Time To Come was pure poetry set to furious thrash, the likes of which has never been seen again! With Martin Walkyier’s ingenious lyrics operating at a level never before realised in thrash, his distinctive wordplay took the neanderthal aspects of thrash and turned them into an art form, bringing a maturity and insight to the genre that precious few bands could ever match.

In the space of just two short years, Sabbat released two genre-defining albums (1989’s Dreamweaver took Sabbat‘s pagan thrash to new heights) and finally put UK thrash on the map, paving the way for folk metal and black metal in the process.

Sabbat‘s debut album is the finest UK thrash album in existence – and that’s not up for debate (although you can if you want to pop a comment or two in the section below!)

History Of A Time To Come – All songs written by Andy Sneap and Martin Walkyier.

1. “Intro”
2. “A Cautionary Tale”
3. “Hosanna in Excelsis”
4. “Behind the Crooked Cross”
5. “Horned Is the Hunter”
6. “I for an Eye”
7. “For Those Who Died”
8. “A Dead Man’s Robe”
9. “The Church Bizarre”