"Our music gives you the same feeling as punching someone in the face, only no one gets injured listening to Sacrifice - hopefully," says pioneering Canadian thrash metal vocalist/guitarist Rob J. Urbinati. "It is very fast, loud, and hateful."

Prepare yourselves! The original '84 lineup of Joe Rico, Scott Watts, Gus Pynn, and Urbinati is coming! They're not touring, so this is a special mind-melting metal moment for local streetbeatin' thrash freaks. Anyone who was at the first mid-'80s appearance of Sacrifice (Toronto) at Le Rendez-Vous with Razor (the evil invaders from Guelph, Ont.) will testify that the gig was one of the most amazing thrash shows ever to grace our burg.

Urbinati says you head-bangin' streetbeaters can expect this from their upcoming Metalfest gig: "Complete mayhem."

"Ask the ones who were at the Le Rendez-Vous show, they will attest to that," Urbinati adds. "That was definitely an unforgettable show and tour. We were the two elite Canadian thrash bands touring across our own country. What a great response both bands received."

Metalfest will feature the first Winnipeg Sacrifice appearance in 20 years. Local gig promoter Cory Thomas has made the 7th Annual Metalfest two-night stand at the Zoo unique by featuring headliners Sacrifice on March 29 at a special one-off show with Anonymus (Montreal), Putrescence, Electro Quarterstaff, and Lykeum. March 28 features Into Eternity with Port Amoral, Damascus, Xplicit, and Legerdemain.

"I've been promoting shows for eight years now. I just do it for the love of the music," Thomas says after I ask him why he's making the great effort to bring Sacrifice to Winnipeg.

"I fund the entire thing myself. I have the minimum price that I can at the door. I really want to bring these bands through Winnipeg. You know, people would be surprised at how many shows we miss just because nobody makes the effort to do them in Winnipeg."

Here's how Thomas succeeded in bringing the legendary Sacrifice to our town:

"I was on tour with Putrescence (Thomas is Darklord Skullbong, their drummer) in Italy and I found the Forward to Termination LP by Sacrifice at a distro at our show in Bologna," Thomas explains. "Two weeks later I had three headliners confirmed for the festival, and all of them fell through. I was stressing out, stoned out of my tree, sitting in my bedroom listening to the album, and I thought I should try and get Sacrifice. I fired off an e-mail to them, and they said yes, unbelievably."

"We turn down shows all the time," Urbinati says. "This one being in Winnipeg was definitely a big factor for us accepting. We've always had a good time there. I will never forget our first time in Winnipeg. Winnipeg is a great city, great people, and Sacrifice is really looking forward to coming back."

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