Sacrificium is the sixth studio album by German symphonic metal band Xandria.[3] The record was released on 2 May 2014 via Napalm Records.
| Sacrificium | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2 May 2014 | |||
| Studio | Sandlane Recording Facilities, The Netherlands Gate Studios, Germany | |||
| Genre | Symphonic metal, power metal,[1] heavy metal | |||
| Length | 66:21 | |||
| Label | Napalm | |||
| Producer | Marco Heubaum, Joost van den Broek | |||
| Xandria chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Sacrificium | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metal Underground |  [2] |
| My Global Mind | 9/10[1] |
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
editAccording 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
editAll tracks are written by Marco Heubaum (except where noted)
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sacrificium" | Marco Heubaum, Benjamin Schwenen | 10:04 | |
| 2. | "Nightfall" | Marco Heubaum, Benjamin Schwenen, Christian Steenken | 3:54 | |
| 3. | "Dreamkeeper" | 4:36 | ||
| 4. | "Stardust" | 5:31 | ||
| 5. | "The Undiscovered Land" | 7:22 | ||
| 6. | "Betrayer" | 6:04 | ||
| 7. | "Until the End" | 5:37 | ||
| 8. | "Come with Me" | Marco Heubaum, Benjamin Schwenen, Christian Steenken | 4:56 | |
| 9. | "Little Red Relish" | Dianne van Giersbergen | 4:32 | |
| 10. | "Our Neverworld" | 3:44 | ||
| 11. | "Temple of Hate" | 5:48 | ||
| 12. | "Sweet Atonement" | Dianne van Giersbergen | Marco Heubaum, Nicolas Rebscher, Alexander Kim Lange | 4:13 |
| Total length: | 66:21 | |||
| 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 | 3:54 |
| 4. | "Dreamkeeper" (instrumental) | 4:36 | |
| 5. | "Stardust" (instrumental) | 5:31 | |
| 6. | "The Undiscovered Land" (instrumental) | 7:25 | |
| 7. | "Betrayer" (instrumental) | 6:04 | |
| 8. | "Until the End" (instrumental) | 5:37 | |
| 9. | "Come with Me" (instrumental) | Marco Heubaum, Benjamin Schwenen, Christian Steenken | 4:55 |
| 10. | "Little Red Relish" (instrumental) | 4:33 | |
| 11. | "Our Neverworld" (instrumental) | 3:44 | |
| 12. | "Temple of Hate" (instrumental) | 5:48 | |
| 13. | "Sweet Atonement" (instrumental) | Marco Heubaum, Nicolas Rebscher, Alexander Kim Lange | 4:13 |
| Total length: | 71:07 | ||
Charts
edit| 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
editAll information from the album booklet.[11]
Xandria
- Dianne van Giersbergen – vocals
- Marco Heubaum – guitar, producer
- Philip Restemeier – guitar
- Steven Wussow – bass
- Gerit Lamm – drums
Additional musicians
- Amanda Somerville – narration
- Mark Burnash – narration
- Ben Mathot – violin
- McAlbi – tin whistle, low whistle
- Johannes Schiefner – bagpipes
- Jonas Pap – cello
- PAdam Chamber Choir – choir
Choir
- Maria van Nieukerken – choir conductor
- Annette Stallinga, Annette Vermeulen, Karen Langendonk, Marie Anne Jacobs, Angus van Grevenbroek, Gijs Klunder, Jan Douwes, Alfrun Schmid, Annemieke Nuijten, Aukje Vergeest, Frederique Klooster, Martha Bosch, Daan Verlaan, Koert Braches, Ruben de Grauw
Production
- Joost van den Broek – producer, recording, engineering, keyboards, programming
- Stefan Heilemann – artwork, layout, photography
- Arne Wiegand – engineering assistant
- Jos Driessen – engineering assistant
- Sascha Paeth – producer, recording, engineering, mixing
References
edit- ^ a b "Xandria – Sacrificium Review". 27 April 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
- ^ "Metal Underground: Xandria – Sacrificium". Retrieved 16 May 2014.
- ^ "New album: cover, title, release date, and tour". xandria.de. 7 January 2014. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
- ^ "XANDRIA: New Album Title, Cover Artwork, Release Date Revealed". blabbermouth.net. 7 January 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
- ^ "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.[dead link]
- ^ Hung, Steffen. "Xandria – Sacrificium – hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch.
- ^ "Xandria: 'Sacrificium' First Week Chart Positions - Blabbermouth.net". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
- ^ "Sacrificium". Billboard. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
- ^ (2014). "Sacrificium liner notes". In Sacrificium [CD booklet]. Napalm.
External links
edit- Official discography on xandria.de