The Court of the Insane

The Court of the Insane is an album of punchy, hard rock/heavy metal from Sacrilege, a band from the U.K. that kicked around the latter part of the NWOBHM (1982 or so) until the mid-80s, with just a couple of short releases to their credit. Since 2011, they've been back and quite productive, with this being their seventh full length in eight years. Their formula is typical of bands from that era and features a lot of mid-tempo pacing, big major chord riffs and lyrics that tackle deeper subjects than their American counterparts, who were mainly concerned with the metal life and getting chicks. Sacrilege's songwriting is solid and consistent throughout The Court of the Insane, rarely producing a throwaway track but not hitting any real highs. The bands chugs and pounds its way through traditional metal fare like "Lies", "The Prophet" and "Ride Free" admirably. Sacrilege won't surprise you if you're at all familiar with NWOBHM names like Battleaxe, Gaskin, Cloven Hoof, Satan and the like, but by the same token if those bands ring the bell for you, The Court of the Insane should do the same.