Reviewed by Andy Shaw

Haling from Texas, Consecrator were a Christian thrash metal band who first rose to prominence in the early '90s. Roxx Records have completely remastered all the original demos including a newer track from a 2004 session as part of this complete works compilation. The first thing to note is that Roxx Records have done a good job on the remastering. Given the original recordings are over 25 years old and were done on a shoestring budget you might expect it to sound dated and the production quality to be weak but this is not the case. The record opens with tracks from the 1992 demo with which this compilation shares its name. There is an intensity from the off as "Submission" launches into chugging guitars, high speed drums and guttural scream vocals. The formula is repeated on all six 'Image Of Deception' tracks with the high speed intensity rarely letting up. The guitar work impresses with technical solos sprinkled through every track and the tightness of the band demonstrates why they built up such a reputation through their live shows. The newer 2005 demo track "Meaningless" comes next and you can hear the difference in the quality of the recording with a fuller sound provided by more low end, clearer definition between the instruments and a fuller sound on the drums. The final six tracks are the earliest, coming from the 1990 demo record and lack some of the punch of the later recordings with the drum sound in particular being a bit weak. Musically these tracks offer a bit more variety not just sticking to full throttle chugging riffs but mixing in some funky grooves on "Satan Lies" and even some acoustic guitar on prog-tinged closer "Cast Out". This compilation does a great job of presenting their work whilst staying true to the raw passion that saw them gain recognition through their live shows. If you are in to high speed, technical metal then you could do a lot worse than to check this out.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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