Massive box with 5lps, dvd, poster and a 34 page book

If the post-NWOBHM era threw up very little from the UK metal scene that could scare the world, then Sabbat were a shining, scarifying exception. From Nottingham, they were brave enough to ditch the cliches, and try a little experimentation and individuality in a music style that seemed, at that point, to be predicated on the obvious. Starting as Hydra in June 1985, with vocalist Martin Walkyier, bassist-Fraser Craske and guitarist Andy Sneap, it was the arrival of drummer Simon Negus that coincided with a name change to more rounded Sabbat. Two demos, Magik In Theory And Practice and Fragments Of A Faith Forgotten got the young band a significant buzz (especially in Kerrang! magazine and on BBC Radio 1s – Friday Rock Show), and a deal with Noise Records. Their debut album, 1988’s History Of A Time To Come underlined a sharp potential and by the end of that year, they’d become a permanent five-piece, with the addition of ex-Holosade guitarist Simon Jones. All of which set up what should have been the big international breakthrough, with second album Dreamweaver: Reflections Of Our Yesterdays. The writing duo of vocalist and lyricist Martin Walkyier combined with the song-writing prowess of guitarist Andy Sneap (now a producer in his own right and guitarist in Judas Priest) were ahead of their time and created two of the most significant albums of the late 80’s. This box set contains both these seminal studio albums plus a recently found Radio 1 session that preceded them, unavailable since its original broadcast in 1987. Completing this collection is their historic performance at the Thrashing East Live concert in East Berlin from 1990, just as the iron curtain fell. It’s presented here on DVD for the first time and also as an album of the show which is released in its entirety for the first time, including a song left off the DVD. This is all finished up with a double sided poster and book containing all of the eloquent lyrics from these songs.

Track list:

Lp 1: History Of A Time To Come

1. Intro

2. A Cautionary Tale

3. Hosanna In Excelsis

4. Behind The Crooked Cross

5. Horned Is The Hunter

6. I For An Eye

7. For Those Who Died

8. A Dead Man’s Robe

9. The Church Bizarre

Lp 2: Dreamweaver: Reflections Of Our Yesterdays

1. The Beginning Of The End-intro

2. The Clerical Conspiracy

3. Advent Of Insanity

4. Do Dark Horses Dream Of Nightmares?

5. The Best Of Enemies

6. How Have The Mighty Fallen

7. Wildfire

8. Mythistory

9. Happy Never After-outro

Lp 3 and 4: Live In East Berlin 1990

1. Intro

2. The Clerical Conspiracy

3. Hosanna In Excelsis

4. Do Dark Horses Dream Of Nightmares?

5. Behind The Crooked Cross

6. I For An Eye

7. Wildfire

8. The Best Of Enemies

9. For Those Who Died

10. A Cautionary Tale

11. The Church Bizarre

Lp 5: BBC Radio 1 Friday Rock Show Session 27th February 1987

1. A Cautionary Tale

2. For Those Who Died

3. The 13th Disciple

Dvd: The End Of The Beginning

1. Intro

2. The Clerical Conspiracy

3. Hosanna In Excelsis

4. Do Horses Dream Of Nightmares?

5. Behind The Crooked Cross

6. I For An Eye

7. The Best Of Enemies

8. For Those Who Died

9. A Cautionary Tale

10. The Church Bizarre