Resurrection confirmed for Sarkasm.
After an existence in the Canadian underground of the ’90s, the band reformed several times, eventually releasing their debut album in 2023 on Xtreem Music. In 2025, Bruno Bernier (vocals, Obliveon), François Dubuc (guitar), Yves Parent (guitar), Simon Thibodeau (drums, Skullmace) and Dave Bouchard (bass, Winds of War) renewed their partnership with their label for the release of their second album, Carnival of Atrocities.
Whether I Am Chaos starts out in a reassuringly tranquil mood, the band won’t last long before returning to their aggressive roots and energetic riffs accompanied by ferocious vocal parts. There’s also a rather jerky approach at the end to Murmurs From the Void, a track that immediately displays its rage with fairly simple but effective riffs, and is sure to get its fans moving live. The rhythm slows down to establish a more soaring mood, allowing the leads to add that melancholy touch, followed by a warm bass sound that becomes groovier on Echoes of Hyperion, where the musicians return to their livelier patterns. The cutting sound flares up from time to time, while occasionally including a few more melodic touches, and then Disintegrate gets a little faster and wilder, while continuing to exploit the Germanic Thrash roots to remain solid and catchy in all circumstances. The solo confirms the duality of the sound, which at times feels more piercing, while Cold Empty Rooms initially sticks to a fairly massive approach and heavy palm mutes before including bloody harmonics, and even a Heavy-inspired solo before giving way to Hateful, Spiteful, Vengeful, which shifts from dark sound to fury in no time. The track is perfect for kick-starting any crowd movement, managing its rhythm in a very interesting way, and it’s followed by the equally rousing Ex Umbris, which strings together searing passages with impressive mastery, and is sure to get our skulls wagging. The album ends with Dead Weight, a short track that wastes no time and assumes its communicative energy, offering powerful vocal parts like this long scream, and putting the finishing touch to this new round.
Sarkasm reminds me of German Thrash in its incisive approach, but also in its virulence. Carnival of Atrocities is fast, effective and catchy, drawing inspiration from the 90s when the style was developing well.
80/100