When you think of names of metal musicians who display technical excellence on their instruments, Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan, Yngwie Malmsteen and John Petrucci seem to be the first who get mentioned. While those guys are all great players, it's only when you talk to people who have a lot more underground listening expertise that names like Steve DiGiorgio get mentioned. This guy, while not the biggest "name" in the business, is one of (if not THE) best bassists ever to perform metal. While you may not know his name very well, you certainly know some of the bands that he's recorded with - Testament, Autopsy, Death, Iced Earth, to name a few.

Back in the late '80s, and bleeding into the early '90s, DiGiorgio's original foray into the world of metal came with the band Sadus. Arguably the most technically solid thrash metal band at the time, Sadus had a decent, but under-appreciated run. Their two Roadrunner releases, Swallowed In Black and Chemical Exposure, stand as the two best albums the label released but failed to push (probably because all their money was tied up in a band called Sepultura at that point). The third Roadrunner release, A Vision Of Misery, found the band losing their thrash sound and trying to be a death metal band, and shortly after it came out, they were done for six years. DiGiorgio bailed out for Death and ultimately other projects, which put the band in a holding pattern. They returned in 1998 with the abysmal Elements Of Anger, which left most thinking that they were done for good after that.

Thankfully, another long break has found this band back with a vengeance. Out For Blood is a very strong return to thrash/death form for Sadus. More thrash than death metal, the now three-piece band (guitarist Rob Moore is no longer involved) has launched a tight, brutal assault on the senses. There are moments on this CD that stand arguably as the best in their career.