Netherlands-based Sinister was a big part of my early death metal education, delivering 3 organ-juicing albums in the early 90s that placed the band at the vanguard of the European scene. 1992s Cross the Styx is an absolute rampaging beast and one of the best pure death metal releases of the 90s.1 1993s Diabolical Summoning is nearly as massive, and 19956s Hate is another merciless sonic beatdown. After that lofty beginning, Sinister drifted for a long time, releasing a series of sub-par outings. They had a brief resurgence in 2006 with Afterburner, fell off again, then had a third wave of success with 2017s Syncretism and 2020s Deformation of the Holy Realm, both getting very favorable reviews here. Now comes the 15th full-length, Lucid Nightmares. With only drummer-turned-vocalist Aad Kloosterwaard left from the classic days, this isn’t the Sinister that helped establish the death metal genre. That doesn’t mean the modern version can’t crush your scrotage with lead pipe brutality, because they can and will.
Lucid Nightmares is a loud, unabashedly proud death metal album by a band that aspires to be nothing else. Some of the material here is savage enough to be confused with grindcore, and only rarely do Sinister offer you a melodic hug. Proper opener “Maligant Disasters” is a straight-up asswhipping with berserkly thrashing riffs pulverizing everything in sight as Aad Kloosterwaard bellows and roars like a wounded bull moose forced to watch a 3-hour Taylor Swift concert. It reminds me of Vader, Deicide, and Cannibal Corpse but faster. It’s heavy to the point of parody, but you won’t be laughing. The embedded soundbite of some poor soul screaming “We’re all gonna die!” fits the mood perfectly, as you may actually die listening to this explosive musical diarrhea. “Bathed in Acid” is only 1:45 in length, but it will cause more ear trauma than songs 3 times as long. The badass martial riffs that occur at 1:11 are a sick pleasure, and the whole thing is a nasty, brutish, and short roadkill taco. Sinister add another layer to the abuse on “Defenestration,” where traces of Behemoth’s over-the-top, grandiose style creep in, making things feel like the shit ov some elder god. The first-half highlight is “The Strangulation,” which sounds like classic Swedeath hot-wired to ugly old school death. It’s a sonic bulldozer that just keeps coming after you, powered by relentless riffage and Kloosterwaard’s ragged, rancid bellowing. The drums pound like some kind of ungodly machine, and everything feels like too much for muchness.
The album’s centerpiece is the 7-plus-minute “Cro Magnon Liberatus,” where Sinister pull out all the stops. It’s a shaggy, shambling but regal abomination, perpetually locked in a massive mid-tempo groove as delicate melodic harmonies dance around the edges. It’s so unlike the ceaseless hammering on offer on the rest of the album that it almost feels like an ear sanctuary. Guitarist Walter Tjwa really shines here with a stunning collection of moody solos that really resonate against the expanded sonic tapestry. I especially love the piece starting at 4:30. Is it too long? Probably, but it definitely paints a specific mood. Sadly, there are a few less impactful pieces that feel more generic and rote. “Remains of the Femur” is savage but safe, and “Deranged by Desecration” isn’t especially gripping. The songs across Lucid Nightmares also tend to bleed together given the propensity for blasty, thrashing speeds and Kloosterwaard one-dimensional roars. The album feels longer than its 43 minutes, with several tracks overstaying their welcome by a minute or longer. As much as I like the style, by the 3/4 mark I’m feeling pretty fatigued.
Aad Kloosterwaard has a remorseless, unforgiving vocal style based around a raw bellow that reminds me a lot of George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher mixed with Kataklysm’s Maurizio Iacono. It’s very effective, but it grinds on the listener after a while because there’s no effort made to shift the delivery. He’s essentially another form of percussion. Speaking of which, long-time drummer Toep Duin does his level best to beat you senseless for the album’s entire runtime. He’s a one-man noise factory, and he’s impressively insane. Walter Tjwa’s riffs are usually better than average, and some of his leads are heavy enough to curdle oat milk. It appears both Tjwa and Duin left the band after completing this recording, which sucks, but at least they left on a pretty high note.
I’ve enjoyed the past several releases from Sinister, and although this is a slight step down from Syncretism and Deformation of the Holy Realm, it still offers a savage seasonal beating for hardcore death aficionados. If you’re new to this crew, get your ass back to the classics and then jump forward to this modern era. Good, violent fun awaits the bold and brave.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Massacre
Websites: facebook.com/sinisterofficial | instagram.com/sinister_band
Releases Worldwide: November 13th, 2026
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