SABBATH ASSEMBLY - A letter in red LP

A Letter of Red is the seventh album from Sabbath Assembly. The album, produced by Randall Dunn who last worked with the band on their debut Restored to One, marks a return to the shortened song form and tight production of their debut, while demonstrating ten years of songwriting prowess and lyrical advancement.

The music on A Letter of Red owes more to the galloping hard rock of the 70’s than the progressive meanderings of Rites of Passage. Dunn explains: “I tried to find the teenage occult heart of each of the musicians and center them in a place of unity around a familiar and yet futuristic sound. I imagined us all in the cosmos with 70’s hi fi headphones on riding a great winged beast airbrushed on the side of a chevy van.” Guitarists Kevin Hufnagel (Gorguts, Dysrhythmia) and Ron Varod (Kayo Dot, Myrkur) reference Heart and Judas Priest on the album’s hard rockers, while acoustic moments bring to mind Current 93 and Jethro Tull. Vocalist Jamie Myers (ex-Hammers of Misfortune and Wolves in the Throne Room) performs with the stripped down clarity of Peter Murphy and Siouxsie in the 80’s, bringing a true Gothic tinge to the metal riffs for a totally unique combination.

A final word from Dunn: “When we set out to make a Sabbath Assembly record, we set out to make magic spells and embrace a plural existence. Make no mistake – the sisters will be heard, and secularism will be brought to its knees once again by the old gods disguised as a rock band.”

Black vinyl - SVART Records 2019