SACRIFIST

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SACRIFIST

Posted by Frank Riester 08 February 2011

Featured South African Band

Sacrifist is one of South Africa’s most established Metal bands having toured the local circuit for more than 17 years now and well respected in the industry for their high album and merchandize sales...

Inspired by the music of the likes of Children Of Bodom, At The Gates, Dark Tranquility, Slayer and In Flames, Sacrifist came to life thanks to Sammy Simegi and Michael Kiefer who founded the band in 1993 and started recording their first album “The Tides Have Turned” in 1995, although not released until a few years later.

1997 was a milestone for the band in terms of live exposure and national touring and saw them on three major national tours, the “Death Before Disco” tour as well as the Jack Daniels backed “Agony And Ecstasy” tour, both of which were only topped by the “The Summer Blast SA Tour” which was not only backed by Nuclear Blast Records but which was Sacrifist’s first ever major headlining tour, spreading havoc wherever they performed and leaving each town with a rapidly expanding national fan base.

Between 1999 and 2004 Sacrifist went on to release two more albums, the band’s second album “Liquid Seasons” was released in 1999, after which former vocalist and bassist were replaced with Dwayne Coetzee and Shaun Moseley respectively, and in 2004 they released their third album “The Well Of Sacrifice”.

Sacrifist’s powerful Melodic Metal has maintained not only their original fan base but persistently gathering an increasing number of new fans both locally but across the globe. The band’s live shows have an ever increasing amount of energy and are an experience on its own to watch while internet download counts for selected tracks are in the thousands…

In 2006 Sacrifist embarked on the “DestrucTour” with Mind Assault and several other South African Metal acts, ripping across the country. This tour has since become a bi-yearly carnage. In terms of international exposure, Sacrifist has been touring as far as Germany and Switzerland.

South_African_Metal_band_Sacrifist

In September 2007 Sacrifist entered the studio again to record their fourth full length album, “Surrealist Plague”. The music has evolved to be more progressive and melodic, but still retaining the original Metal power that is associated with Sacrifist. The fifth album is currently in the making.

2011 is looking to be an excitingly positive year for Sacrifist as they aim to be the first South African Metal band to play at Sziget Festival 2011 in Budapest, Hungary. Additionally, plans are already underway for another European tour with a possible 9 shows confirmed, as well as a tour to the USA.

Today Sacrifist is considered as one of the most influential and successful Metal outfits hailing from South Africa and is not only a favourite headlining act at major Metal festivals across the country but has also proven as a popular support act for international Metal acts who graced South African shores over the past decade, such as Blind Guardian, Entombed, Carcass, just to mention just a few.

It is Sacrifist’s aim and mission to keep the heart of Melodic Metal beating strongly in South Africa!

Current Line-Up: