Sacrifice

Formed in Toronto in 1983 around guitarists Rob Urbinati and Joe Rico, Sacrifice established itself by the mid-1980s as part of the first wave of Canadian thrash metal with a fast, abrasive and direct style, drawing on speed metal and traditional heavy metal. After several early lineup changes, the band settled with Scott Watts on bass and Gus Pynn on drums, while Urbinati also took over vocals. They first recorded the demo The Exorcism in 1985, then released the albums Torment in Fire (1985), Forward to Termination (1987), Soldiers of Misfortune (1990) and Apocalypse Inside (1993), which trace a shift from very raw thrash to more structured compositions without losing intensity. Onstage, Sacrifice shared bills with Exodus, Slayer, Motörhead, Razor, Bolt Thrower and Death in Canada and the United States. After disbanding in 1993, Sacrifice reformed in 2006 with its classic lineup, resumed performing and issued The Ones I Condemn in 2009, continuing its sonic identity. Since then the band has remained intermittently active, appearing at specialist festivals such as Keep It True and Maryland Deathfest.