Sacrificium (album)
| Sacrificium | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2 May 2014 | |||
| Recorded | at Sandlane Recording Facilities, The Netherlands, and Gate Studios, Germany | |||
| Genre | Symphonic metal, power metal | |||
| Length | 66:33 | |||
| Label | Napalm | |||
| Producer | Marco Heubaum, Joost van den Broek | |||
| Xandria chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Sacrificium | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metal Underground |  [1] |
Sacrificium is the sixth studio album by German symphonic metal band Xandria.[2] The record was released on 2 May 2014 via Napalm Records.[3]
In Latin, the word sacrificium means the performance of an act that renders something sacer, sacred. Sacrifice reinforced the powers and attributes of divine beings, and inclined them to render benefits in return (the principle of do ut des).
Background
According to the band, the new album will "continue the musical journey and direction" of their last album, Neverworld's End, but "will bring in even more of everything people liked" about it.
Right before recording began, the band parted ways with their singer of three years, Manuela Kraller. She was replaced by Dutch singer Dianne van Giersbergen, who also fronts the progressive metal band, Ex Libris.[4][5] This record is also the first album to feature Steven Wussow on bass.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Marco Heubaum (except where noted)
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sacrificium" | Marco Heubaum, Benjamin Schwenen | 10:07 | |
| 2. | "Nightfall" | Marco Heubaum, Benjamin Schwenen, Christian Steenken | 3:56 | |
| 3. | "Dreamkeeper" | 4:36 | ||
| 4. | "Stardust" | 5:33 | ||
| 5. | "The Undiscovered Land" | 7:22 | ||
| 6. | "Betrayer" | 6:06 | ||
| 7. | "Until the End" | 5:39 | ||
| 8. | "Come with Me" | Marco Heubaum, Benjamin Schwenen, Christian Steenken | 4:56 | |
| 9. | "Little Red Relish" | Dianne van Giersbergen | 4:32 | |
| 10. | "Our Neverworld" | 3:46 | ||
| 11. | "Temple of Hate" | 5:50 | ||
| 12. | "Sweet Atonement" | Dianne van Giersbergen | Marco Heubaum, Nicolas Rebscher, Alexander Kim Lange | 4:14 |
| Total length: | 66:33 | |||
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Watcher" (Bonus Track) | 4:43 | |
| 2. | "Sacrificium" (Instrumental) | Marco Heubaum, Benjamin Schwenen | 10:04 |
| 3. | "Nightfall" (Instrumental) | Marco Heubaum, Benjamin Schwenen, Christian Steenken | 3:56 |
| 4. | "Dreamkeeper" (Instrumental) | 4:36 | |
| 5. | "Stardust" (Instrumental) | 5:33 | |
| 6. | "The Undiscovered Land" (Instrumental) | 7:22 | |
| 7. | "Betrayer" (Instrumental) | 6:05 | |
| 8. | "Until the End" (Instrumental) | 5:39 | |
| 9. | "Come with Me" (Instrumental) | Marco Heubaum, Benjamin Schwenen, Christian Steenken | 4:56 |
| 10. | "Little Red Relish" (Instrumental) | 4:32 | |
| 11. | "Our Neverworld" (Instrumental) | 3:46 | |
| 12. | "Temple of Hate" (Instrumental) | 5:49 | |
| 13. | "Sweet Atonement" (Instrumental) | Marco Heubaum, Nicolas Rebscher, Alexander Kim Lange | 4:14 |
| Total length: | 71:11 | ||
Charts
| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums Chart[6] | 71 |
| German Albums Chart[7] | 25 |
| Swiss Albums Chart[8] | 48 |
| UK Albums Chart[9] | 176 |
| US Top Heatseekers[10] | 25 |
Personnel
- Xandria
- Dianne van Giersbergen – vocals
- Marco Heubaum – guitar
- Philip Restemeier – guitar
- Steven Wussow – bass
- Gerit Lamm – drums
Credits
- Music arranged by Marco Heubaum, Gerit Lamm, Philip Restemeier, Steven Wussow, Dianne van Giersbergen and Joost van den Broek.
- Produced by Marco Heubaum and Joost van den Broek
- Mixed by Sascha Paeth at Gate Studios, Germany
- Vocals recorded, engineered and co-produced by Sascha Paeth at Gate Studios, Germany
- Drums, choir and strings recorded and engineered by Joost van den Broek at Sandlane Recording Facilities, The Netherlands
- Assistant engineering by Arne Wiegand and Jos Driessen
- Orchestral and choir arrangements, sound design, programming and keys by Joost van den Broek
- The choir of the sacrificed: PA'dam choir, The Netherlands
- Narration by Amanda Somerville & Mark Burnash
References
- ^ "Metal Underground: Xandria - Sacrificium". Retrieved 2014-05-16.
- ^ "New album: cover, title, release date, and tour". xandria.de. 2014-01-07. Archived from the original on 2014-01-08. Retrieved 2014-01-27.
- ^ "Xandria – Sacrificium". discogs.com. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
- ^ "XANDRIA: New Album Title, Cover Artwork, Release Date Revealed". blabbermouth.net. 2014-01-07. Retrieved 2014-01-28.
- ^ "Announcement". xandria.de. 25 October 2013. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
- ^ Hung, Steffen. "Xandria - Sacrificium". austriancharts.at.
- ^ "officialcharts.de". Retrieved 25 November 2014.
- ^ Hung, Steffen. "Xandria - Sacrificium - hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch.
- ^ "Xandria: 'Sacrificium' First Week Chart Positions - Blabbermouth.net". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
- ^ "Sacrificium". Billboard. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
External links
- Official discography on xandria.de