These unheralded Death Metal heroes from Portugal return with their third opus, displaying a marked progression from their previous efforts without abandoning their core sound.
Unheralded Death Metal heroes from Portugal, Undersave have been carving their own path, and every half a decade or so we get an album that is a huge step ahead from the previous one. Mixed and mastered by Diogo Santana at Noise Portrait Recordings, and displaying a sinister artwork by Belial NecroArts (Hierarchies, Perishing, and many more), the band’s third full-length opus Merged In Abstract Perdition displays a marked progression from their 2018 sophomore Sadistic Iterations… Tales of Mental Rearrangement without completely abandoning their core sound, offering an infernal yet intricate slab of Dissonant Death Metal carefully crafted by Nuno Braz on vocals and guitars, André Carvalho also on the guitars, Renato Laia on bass, and Pedro Pereira on drums, being therefore tailored for fans of Immolation, Ulcerate, Replicant, Maere, Gorguts, Dysgnostic, and Saevus Finis, among others.
The band begins distilling their fusion of Progressive and Death Metal with experimental and uncanny sounds in Unshakable And Unlimited Levels Of Obsession, with the bass by Renato sounding utterly metallic and vibrant; and their feast of idiosyncratic sounds goes on in full force in Unconscious Assimilation…Path To Tangible Reality, with the vile guttural by Nuno being boosted by his own riffage alongside André’s also menacing guitar lines. Effervescent Futile Thoughts Of A Phobic Being is another excellent song with a creative and wicked title, with Pedro hammering his drums nonstop in a Progressive and Avantgarde Death Metal extravaganza, and Nuno and André simply shred their axes in Forced Retraumatization…Unlocking Spiritual Illumination, offering our avid ears an overdose of madness and intricacy. The band shows no mercy for our souls in Fictitious And Impermanent Self-Refinement, with Pedro taking the lead with his fulminating beats and fills, and there’s still time for more of their disruptive Death Metal in the form of Fathomless Contempt Nourished By Unrealistic Predictions, with Nuno roaring nonstop accompanied by the eerie sounds crafted by his bandmates. Last but not least, we’re treated to six minutes of pure insanity titled Narcissistic Supreme Alienation, where their experimental sounds and tones walk hand in hand with Pedro’s crushing drums.
In summary, Undersave may have just come up with a must-listen album for any fan of extreme music, rivalling if not surpassing not only their own albums but also those by the other luminaries in the style. Hence, you can find those talented Portuguese metallers on Facebook and on Instagram, including their pulverizing live shows, stream their unique creations on Spotify, and of course put your damned hands on Merged in Abstract Perdition from their own BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store, or simply click HERE for all things Undersave. Merged in Abstract Perdition is indeed a masterful album that is at once dark, dissonant, and atmospheric, and once you dive deep into its vicious sounds, get ready for a one-way descent into madness.
Best moments of the album:Unconscious Assimilation…Path To Tangible Reality, Forced Retraumatization…Unlocking Spiritual Illumination and Narcissistic Supreme Alienation.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records
Track listing 1. Unshakable And Unlimited Levels Of Obsession 5:39
2. Unconscious Assimilation…Path To Tangible Reality 5:20
3. Effervescent Futile Thoughts Of A Phobic Being 5:06
4. Forced Retraumatization…Unlocking Spiritual Illumination 5:43
5. Fictitious And Impermanent Self-Refinement 4:29
6. Fathomless Contempt Nourished By Unrealistic Predictions 5:34
7. Narcissistic Supreme Alienation 6:12
Band members Nuno Braz – vocals, guitars
André Carvalho – guitars
Renato Laia – bass
Pedro Pereira – drums
After 34 years pushing their creation forward with the precision of a scalpel, this cult Portuguese Death Metal and Grindcore beast is back once again with another chapter of extremeness and gore in their undisputed career.
After 34 years doing what they’ve always done to perfection, pushing their creation forward with the precision of a scalpel, in the most raw, brutal and sharp form imaginable, Oeiras, Lisbon, Portugal-based Death Metal/Grindcore cult entity Grogis back once again with another chapter of extremeness and gore in their undisputed career, titled Sphere of Atrocities, a deadly album that will make you bleed for speed, push you to the corner, and beat you relentlessly. Recorded, produced and mastered by the band’s drummer Rolando Barros at Undergrind Studios, with cover concept by the band’s vocalist Pedro Pedra, and illustration and final art by Victor Costa, the new bestial opus by the aforementioned Pedro Pedra and Rolando Barros alongside guitarist Ivo Martins and bassist Alexandre Ribeiro offers bass lines that will melt your face, a wall of exorcizing guitar riffs and a voice directly coming from down under, turning it into a must-listen for worldwide Death Metal and Grindcore fanatics.
The band needs less than two seconds to kick off their metallic extravaganza in E.xit G.lobal O.bliteration, pulverizing everything and everyone that dares to cross their path led by Pedro’s inhumane growling, whereas Rolando crushes his drums with endless fury in Vegetative Techuman, a visceral display of Death Metal infused with Grindcore madness. Ivo and Alexandre sound utterly rabid in Inborn Sickness, with their riffs and bass transpiring Death Metal while Pedro keeps vomiting unfriendly words nonstop; and Alexandre pounds his bass in absolute darkness in Heart Of Darkness, a lecture in violence by Grog that will leave you completely disoriented after all is said and done. After that, Ivo continues to fire his scathing riffs in Cosmic Placenta, while his bandmates showcase an avalanche of gore and insanity.
Pineal Turmoil brings to our avid ears two and a half minutes of pure, unfiltered Grindcore led by the demolishing beats and fills by Rolando; and there’s no sign of peace or hope in their music, as it’s a blast of annihilating sounds in Reproductive Extinction, with Ivo once again sounding ruthless on the guitar, which is also the case in Phantom Anihilation, bringing forward their trademark riffs, rumbling bass and pounding drums. NecroEarth nicely depicts the band’s strength, essence and passion for extreme music, with Pedro barking viciously until the very end, and I have no idea how they managed to sound even heavier in Lucidity, most probably due to another demented performance by Rolando behind his drums. Finally, we’re treated to Grog’s last three minutes of absurdly heavy and evil sounds in the form of Terrorithm, with the strings by Ivo and Alexandre reverberating in great fashion.
After listening to the unrelenting Sphere Of Atrocities, you’ll quickly acknowledge Grog are still one of the greatest names in the underground, putting their musical effort at the top of the highest mountain and continuing to be a fearless and ruthless monster avalanche for your senses, elevating their legacy to a new level of severe musical brilliance. Having said that, it’s time to “pulverize yourself” to the sound of Sphere Of Atrocities by purchasing a copy of the album from the Hellprod Records’ BandCamp or webstore, as well as by following the band on Facebook and on Instagram. Because Grog are out for blood armed with Sphere Of Atrocities, and you will most definitely want to be their next victim.
Best moments of the album:E.xit G.lobal O.bliteration, Heart Of Darkness and NecroEarth.
Get ready for 23 minutes of timeless, medieval darkness masterfully crafted by one of the most sulfurous names of the Portuguese Black Metal scene.
A member of the infamous “Black Circle” together with Decrepitude, Mons Veneris, Rainha Cólera and Vetala, Lisbon, Portugal-based Black Metal entity Irae is unleashing upon humanity a sulfurous new EP titled Promiscuous Fire, following up on its critically acclaimed 2022 opus Assim na Terra como no Inferno. In Promiscuous Fire, the lone wolf Vulturius on “fires of tradition and demonic vengeance” (aka vocals, guitars and bass) is joined by guest J Goat on “apocalyptic beats, necromantic creations and doom” (aka bass, additional vocals and drum programming), plus guest vocals by Obskuritatem on two of the four songs, spreading pitch black darkness that only gets even more obscure to the venomous mastering by D.S. at Noise Portrait Recordings and the Stygian artwork by Ainul Iblis.
It’s pure old school Black Metal from the very first second in The Curse of Lael, led by the demonic gnarling by Vulturius, who’s also ruthless armed with his sulfurous axe, delivering caustic, visceral riffs nonstop; followed by Vinho de Gólgota, another fulminating explosion of Black Metal madness by Vulturius supported by J Goat and his thunderous bass. Furthermore, Vulturius vocals couldn’t have sounded more demonic, sending shivers down our spines throughout the entire song. Porco de Satanás continues to showcase Vulturius’ deep passion for extreme music and the dark arts, with the additional vocals by guest Obskuritatem bringing a welcome touch of dementia and evil to the overall result, whereas Endless Circle sounds and feels as disturbing, evil and thunderous as the other songs of the EP, with Vulturius being a beast incarnate on vocals once again to properly end the album on a high and demonic note.
For those who think Irae is “just” a raw Black Metal band, Promiscuous Fire will prove to be quite a reckoning. While by no means “polished” per se, there’s a decidedly refined amalgamation of cleaner tones and classic Black Metal songwriting in a Second Wave style, or in other words, it’s simply 23 minutes of timeless, medieval darkness, and you can savor all that by streaming the EP and all of the band’s previous releases on Spotify, and of course by purchasing a copy of the EP from BandCamp or from Signal Rex. Vulturius shows no mercy for our putrid, useless souls in his newborn opus, forged in the fires of the beautiful Lisbon, ready to spread his dark wings upon humanity and to keep carrying the torch of old school Black Metal for many years to come under his diabolical beast Irae, and I bet all fans of the darkest side of music will love to hear more from him sooner than later as his new EP is indeed amazing.
Best moments of the album:Vinho de Gólgota and Porco de Satanás.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Signal Rex
Track listing 1. The Curse of Lael 6:06
2. Vinho de Gólgota 5:10
3. Porco de Satanás 6:30
4. Endless Circle 4:56
Band members Vulturius – vocals, all instruments
Guest musicians
J Goat – bass, additional vocals, drum programming
Obskuritatem – additional vocals on “Porco de Satanás” and “Endless Circle”
A ruthless Death Metal entity from Portugal will attack us all with their debut opus, illustrating soundscapes of disastrous, catastrophic, and annihilating volcanic and natural events.
Based on the outskirts of Lisbon, Portugal, the infuriated Death Metal beast Phenocryst is releasing their highly anticipated debut album, titled Cremation Pyre, a worthy follow-up to their 2021 debut EP Explosions. Produced, mixed and mastered by Fernando Matias at The Pentagon Audio Manufacturers, and displaying a front cover oil painting by English artist James Campbell (with artwork concept by the band’s own vocalist and guitarist D.S., inspired by Polish painter and photographer Zdzisław Beksiński), the new opus by D.S. on vocals and guitars, Santana also on the guitars, V.M. on bass, and Artur on drums showcases the foundation of a Death Metal act crossing other influences like Doom Metal and some psychedelic vibes, beautifully illustrating soundscapes of disastrous, catastrophic, and annihilating volcanic and natural events.
Absolute darkness and despair flows from all instruments in the opening tune Pinnacle Of Death, with Artur crushing his drums while D.S. vociferates like a creature arising from the abyss, resulting in a demolishing Death Metal feast to kick off the album, whereas sinister notes explode into a putrid Death Metal onrush titled Astonishing Devastation, where the guitars by D.S. and Santana sound evil and grim until the very end. Then featuring guest vocals by Jorge Santos, Belathauzer and Fernando Matias, their evil invocations continue to burn our damned souls in Pyres Of The Altar, offering almost five minutes of caustic riffs and blast beats not recommended for the lighthearted; while Incandescent Debris is a devilish instrumental aria by Phenocryst that has all elements form classic Death Metal, except of course for the guttural vocal lines.
The second half of the album begins in full force with Embers Of An Ancient Fire, a song that couldn’t have sounded more infernal nor heavier, presenting another great job done by D.S. and Santana on the guitars supported by the Doom Metal-inspired drums by Artur, followed by Volcanic Winter, a song perfect for headbanging like an evil entity to the massive beats by Artur while D.S., Santana and V.M. show no mercy for their stringed axes, exhaling endless sulfur and hatred. Fogo Nas Entranhas, or “fire in the entrails”, is one of the most pulverizing songs of the album where D.S.’s infernal roars walk hand in hand with the crushing drums by Artur in a lecture in Death Metal made in Portugal, not to mention the cryptic riffs blasted by D.S. and Santana, flowing into the atmospheric outro Burial Swamps, darkening the skies and dragging us to burn in scorching lava together with the band for all eternity.
Forward-thinking traditionalism? Perhaps, but the real beauty of Cremation Pyre is that it’s open to myriad interpretations; with just one single step needed into its lava. After all is said and done, Phenocryst prove, once again, that “Only Death is Realer!”, and if you agree with the band and want to feel their Death Metal fires burning your soul until the end of times you can find them on Facebook and on Instagram, where you can stay updated with all things Phenocryst including their tour dates, and grab your copy of their incendiary new album from their own BandCamp page, or from Blood Harvest’s BandCamp page or webstore as a CD, LP, or cassette. Phenocryst are among us to spread fire and evil, and may their flammable Death Metal sounds continue to incinerate our avid ears with all of their upcoming releases, hopefully all just as great as Cremation Pyre.
Best moments of the album:Astonishing Devastation, Pyres Of The Altar and Fogo Nas Entranhas.
Worst moments of the album:Incandescent Debris.
Released in 2024 Blood Harvest
Track listing 1. Pinnacle Of Death 4:58
2. Astonishing Devastation 6:05
3. Pyres Of The Altar 4:48
4. Incandescent Debris 3:51
5. Embers Of An Ancient Fire 6:31
6. Volcanic Winter 6:05
7. Fogo Nas Entranhas 4:41
8. Burial Swamps 2:05
Band members D.S. – vocals, guitars
Santana – guitars
V.M. – bass
Artur – drums
Guest musicians Belathauzer – additional vocals on “Pyres Of The Altar”
Fernando Matias – additional vocals on “Pyres Of The Altar”, fx and synthesizers on “Fogo Nas Entranhas”
Jorge Santos – additional vocals on “Pyres Of The Altar” and “Fogo Nas Entranhas”
A raw album of Portuguese Death Metal presenting a downward spiral into madness, a vision of our post pandemic society that’s slowly collapsing due to its many emerging social problems and near outbreaks of a world war.
A one-man Death Metal band formed in 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal out of the post-COVID pandemic by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist B.R. (aka Bruno Rodrigues), of bands like Rotem and Savager, the venomous beast named Hellwalker has just unleashed a raw and dirty EP titled Coldblooded, following up on the project’s 2023 self-titled debut full-length album. Continuing to worship the old school way and its sound while trying to push the threshold of the extreme by using lower guitar tunings with a more gruesome and dirtier chainsaw sound, low guttural vocals and a more polished production, Coldblooded is a downward spiral into madness, a vision of our post pandemic society that’s slowly collapsing due to its many emerging social problems and near outbreaks of a world war, showcasing B.R.’s talent and passion for the extreme during the album’s 27 minutes of visceral, raw Death Metal sounds while also enfolded by a sick artwork designed by our lone wolf himself.
The title-track Coldblooded starts in a dirty, obscure way with B.R. showcasing his most demented side through his wicked vociferations, or in other words, it couldn’t have sounded rawer than it already does, and he keeps extracting sharp and visceral sounds form his guitars and bass in Decimation while his deep gnarls will darken the skies in the name of primeval Death Metal. Love Turns into Hate is a mid-tempo tune where his riffs and drums walk hand in hand, sounding a little weird, in special the slower, darker moments, but overall it’s an interesting song; whereas Them Crooked Vultures is another eerie, cadaverous creation by our Portuguese lone wolf where his devilish vocals match perfectly the song’s somber rhythm, and with the utterly metallic sound of his bass reverberating inside our cranial skulls mercilessly.
In the thrilling Breath In Breath Out the multi-talented B.R. adds an amazing dosage of the Rock N’ Roll played by The Misfits to his wicked sonority, inviting us all to hit the dance floor and raise our horns by bringing to our avid ears an endless dosage of rebelliousness through his raspy vocals and caustic riffs. Then offering another round of old school extreme sounds blended with industrialized elements we have My Name Is Hate, with the song’s beats sounding like an evil assembly line while B.R. keeps growling in the name of darkness. And last but not least, the rhythmic Fantasmas (a Portuguese word that means “ghosts”) closes the album by presenting B.R.’s trademark fusion of Death Metal with rock and industrial sounds, sounding and feeling again absolutely dark and grim until the very end.
If you want to listen to Coldblooded in full to feel the fury and rawness emanating from B.R.’s vocals, riffs, bass and drums, you can find it on YouTube, on BandCamp, and on Spotify (where by the way you can also enjoy his 2023 self-titled debut album if you’re curious to listen to the evolution in his sound from that album to Coldblooded), as well as on Amazon Music and on Apple Music. Also, Hellwalker is not on any social media, showing how underground and primeval B.R. wants the project to be, proudly raising the flag of old school Death Metal in his homeland Portugal, and hoping for his vile noises to reach the four corners of the earth. Hellwalker is the absolute opposite of mainstream, and if that’s your cup of tea, go for Coldblooded as you won’t get disappointed at all.
Best moments of the album:Decimation and Breath In Breath Out.
Worst moments of the album:Love Turns into Hate.
Released in 2024 Rot’em Records
Track listing 1.Coldblooded 4:20
2.Decimation 3:32
3.Love Turns into Hate 1:57
4.Them Crooked Vultures 4:49
5.Breath In Breath Out 3:46
6.My Name Is Hate 5:28
7.Fantasmas 3:15
Life is flesh on bone convulsing above the ground.
It’s time to spread absolute fuckin’ evil all over the world here at The Headbanging Moose, courtesy of our multi-talented metal lady of this month of March, and trust me, as soon as you know more about her, about her music and her art as a photographer, you’ll get addicted to everything surrounding her, musically and visually speaking. Owner of a fantastic voice, placing her among the best female growlers of the new generation, she’s the frontwoman for one of the rising forces of the metal scene in her homeland Portugal, inspiring us to raise our horns anytime she hits the stage with her incredible charisma, her looks, and of course her she-demon roars. Her name is Beatriz Mariano, the mastermind behind Portuguese Blackened Death Metal horde Okkultist and a fantastic freelance visual artist, and she’s ready to drink your blood and reap your soul to the sound of her devilish, furious creations. Having said all that, are you ready to face our demonic diva in this humble tribute to her music and her art?
Born on September 9, 1994 in the charming and always cozy Portuguese capital Lisbon, Beatriz has lived and breathed music since she was a little kid. “I’ve learned a few instruments, and I’ve always been into singing. There wasn’t really a time when I wanted to become a singer, because I never actually saw it as something I wanted to do full-time. I’ve always sung for fun! If this makes sense,” commented our talented growler in one of her interviews, complementing by saying what her family thought about it when she founded Okkultist. “When I told my family I was in a band they were accepting. They don’t understand the music though. When I first asked ‘do you wanna listen to it’ the first reaction I got was a fat ‘no’. But as long as I’m happy, they’re supportive.” In addition, her passion for the occult also started at a very early stage of her life. “I’ve been in love with the horror, occult and macabre aesthetic since a very early age. My favorite cartoon as a kid was ‘Courage, the Cowardly Dog’. I was hypnotized by the first horror movie I ever saw. I just fell in love. It just felt right. It was a calling.”
It was back in 2016 when Beatriz founded her infernal sonic cult Okkultist together with guitarist Leander Sandmeier (Toxic Room, Toxikull), making sure they were bringing into being something truly evil. “I remember us all sitting down and just saying ‘this shit has to sound evil. It had to bring people chills to their spine. Let’s make them hallucinate about Satan when our shit plays.’ We wanted a pit to hell to open up as soon as you started playing our album.” Currently formed of Beatriz and Leander alongside bassist David J. Rodrigues and drummer Eduardo Sinatra (Aramaic, Godiva, Heavenwood), Okkultist released their debut EP titled Eye of the Beholder, in 2017, followed by the full-length albums Reinventing Evil, in 2019, and more recently O.M.E.N., in 2023, all available for streaming on Spotify or on any other streaming platform. One interesting fact about their two full-length albums is that both were released under the label Alma Mater Records, whose founder and owner is the iconic Fernado Ribeiro of Moonspell. “It started when Fernando and I were discussing some visual ideas and then I presented him to this project I was involved in, and he immediately sounded interested in us, even though we only had a few demos out,” said Beatriz about her partnership with Fernando.
Apart from being a sensational vocalist and performer, as aforementioned Beatriz is also an extremely talented visual artist who loves to focus on the most obscure side of music and arts in her work in general. For instance, she was responsible for the photography of the 2014 demo Hellbreaker – Demo XXIV and of the 2014 full-length album Midnight Steel, both by Portuguese Heavy Metal squad Midnight Priest; for the design and layout of Okkultist’s 2023 album O.M.E.N.; and for the photography of the 2016 album Black Sheep, by Portuguese Heavy/Speed Metal band Toxikull; and you can take a look at her entire portfolio by visiting her official Facebook page or her Instagram, or click HERE to get access to all links related to our amazing artist. “Actually, photography is my main activity. And not the band. I am in complete control over the band’s visuals. It just made sense. I first started working with self-portraiture when I was 15. I’m 25 now. And when I first suggested it to the band they immediately accepted it, also because they enjoy my work. There wasn’t even a question. I just took over,” she commented in an interview four years ago, as she’s now 29, about her life as a photographer and as a musician at the same time, but in my humble opinion I believe today Okkultist became her main activity (or maybe she’s able to magically handle both, who knows).
Her life as a photographer definitely deserves a more detailed look due to everything that impacts her as an artist, her creative process and so on. “I’m constantly researching visuals. Anything! From movies to pictures, comics, illustrations, nature. Even sounds and textures. I’m especially attracted to the experimental field,” she said when asked about her inspirations as a photographer. Furthermore, she mentioned that she works with both pre-arranged shootings, when she already has an idea and concept in mind, and more spontaneous photography. “Usually when it comes to editing, I always end up picking the pictures where the model is not posing. Those are the most beautiful and appealing shots to me, and will certainly turn out to be the best and more impactful images.” Also, although she doesn’t think there must be a story behind each picture, she ended up admitting that almost everything that she does has a meaning, a story or a concept involved. Her opinion about having to study photography or not to be a successful photographer also goes in line with her passion for what’s more spontaneous. “To be really honest, the best way to learn is through experience. Schools, classes, or whatever, will never be able to teach you something that only you can go through. You will only get the full experience by doing it, and getting to it, and that’s the most fulfilling and complete way to learn! I’ve done that since I was a teen, and things like that can never be taught. Sure, studies can give you a hand in it, but no one will ever be able to ‘teach’ you something that only you can live and absorb pure and raw knowledge from! I’ve learnt that way, and with all the memories and living experiences it’s more than useful, it’s priceless!”
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An admirer of both analogue and digital photography, which according to Beatriz herself is necessary to go through the full photographic experience, she used to work with a really nice gear containing a 7D, and a 50mm f/1.4 lens, which she used the most, plus of course Photoshop, but I’m sure right now she might have advanced to an even better gear and maybe an updated software. She’s always been passionate for photography, pictures and filming, but it was when she was in high school and one of her teachers, named Ana Paula Xavier, assigned a project using photography and Photoshop to her class that things changed, becoming an obsession for Beatriz, and she couldn’t let go off the cameras ever since, being highly inspired by French photographer and grand couturier Hedi Slimane, therefore helping her find her own artistic identity. And regarding her idols and influences in general, not only in photography, Beatriz considers herself a very weird person, quoting Beetlejuice to describe herself (“I myself am strange and unusual”). She loves everything around creativity, being able to express herself through something she can make with her own hands, and of course being a Heavy Metal fanatic with an unusual and bizarre taste. For instance, she’s a diehard fan of horror, mentioning Clive Barker, Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento as some of her inspirations, but of course she said she’s the type of person that enjoys building their own stuff.
As already mentioned a few times, Beatriz is an amazing vocalist, delivering sheer malignancy and evil through her harsh growls in the best Black and Death Metal style. She used to be a lot more active on her official YouTube channel and on Vimeo before going all-in with Okkultist, but you can still enjoy a lot of amazing videos, cover songs and so on featuring our Portuguese she-wolf. For example, you can enjoy her covers for Summer Wine, by Lee Hazlewood, Texas Sun, by Khruangbin and Leon Bridges, and Scavenger Of Human Sorrow, by Death, as well as countless videos about fashion, make up, music and so on, including an amazing one called Creepy Nun/Valak Inspired Halloween Make Up where she teaches how to make the perfect make up inspired by the mysterious nun character from The Conjuring universe.
Beatriz also mentioned once that she would love to travel the world with Okkultist and blast some “evil fucking music” everywhere, although she knows it’s really tough for any smaller band to tour financially speaking. “We are doing the best we can to tour. But as a small band that barely makes any profit, it makes it extremely difficult for us to finance big projects. But things are on the move!” I believe right now if you want to experience the fantastic music and performance by Okkultist you have to visit their homeland Portugal, which might not be a big country, but I’m sure you’ll get fascinated with its strong heavy music scene. “Portugal is really small, so you can imagine the size of our community, but we’re tight. I see a lot of support from bands to bands, from fans to bands, from everyone,” commented Beatriz, who truly loves her country for its beauty, proudly saying some of the most beautiful places in the world are in Portugal, while on the other hand she thinks the Portuguese music industry doesn’t have the slightest idea of how many great artists Portugal has, with those artists being crushed because the local industry will only give you your due value if you’re coming from another country. “I could go on and on and on about this, but I should probably shut up now. It’s sad, but it’s the truth.”
Last but definitely not least, our beloved diva of darkness is also a tattoo aficionada (or aficionado, as I never know if this term has male and female forms), and she loves to talk about all the amazing ink she has all over her body. “My favorite tattoo has to be the Pinhead portrait. Hellraiser is my favorite movie, Doug Bradley as Pinhead was my ultimate man crush as a teen. No joke. It was also done by my favorite tattoo artist Hollie Pryce Jones. She did it in a 12-hour sitting, with a one-hour break total. She’s a killer artist, and an amazing human being. Love that girl to death,” commented Beatriz about her all-time favorite ink, but life is not all roses and flowers when it comes to tattoos. She mentioned that any tattoos on her hands are the most painful without any doubt, and that her least favorite tattoo are the three coffin nails on her right wrist, albeit not due to the quality of it. “Don’t get me wrong, the tattoo is beautiful and done by an amazing talented artist called Bela Hilário, but the placement I picked is fucking dumb. Blocks the whole arm now that I’m trying to build a sleeve.” Having a Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon prism on the back done by Pedro Santos, she said she’s certainly getting the Okkultist symbol tattooed somewhere in the future (if she hasn’t done so already); and that her list of favorite tattoo artists include Hollie Pryce Jones, Maksym Yakubchyk, Anrijs Straume, Felix Seele and Diogo Nunes. You should definitely check the work of those five amazing artists online, and who knows, maybe get inked with them just like Beatriz. Just be aware that it’s not going to look as good on you as on our screaming diva, of course.
“I’ve learned a few instruments, and I’ve always been into singing. There wasn’t really a time when I wanted to become a singer, because I never actually saw it as something I wanted to do full-time. I’ve always sung for fun!” – Beatriz Mariano
Get ready to have your sinful soul dragged to hell by this Portuguese Blackened Death Metal outfit to the sound of their infernal sophomore opus.
The result of loss and sacrifice, the culmination of pain, and absolute detachment from life, O.M.E.N., or Omnis Malum Et Noceo, which translates from Latin as “everything evil and harmful”, is the sophomore opus by Lisbon, Portugal-based Black/Death Metal horde Okkultist, representing the band’s strongest effort since their inception in 2016 and, consequently, a huge step forward in the career of one of the most interesting names of the current Portuguese scene. The journey of an obsolete sense of desperateness from walking out of the void weighting us down that is depression, into the high state of spiritual healing, O.M.E.N. has everything a diehard fan of Blackened Death Metal desires and more, showcasing the undeniable talent and passion for the occult by vocalist, lyricist and visionary Beatriz Mariano, lead guitarist and co-founder Leander Sandmeier, rhythm guitarist João Corceiro (who by the way pre-produced the album), bassist David J. Rodrigues and drummer Eduardo Sinatra, all of them more than ready to drag your sinful soul to the pits of hell.
The title-track O.M.E.N. feels like the band is summoning evil spirits from the underworld (“In Nomine Dei Nostri Satanas / Luciferi Excelsi / Ave”), resulting in a very extensive intro that opens the gates of hell for Okkultist to attack our senses with Death to Your Breed, where the Melodic Death and Black Metal drums by Eduardo create a rumbling ambience for the witch-like roars by Beatriz, providing us with everything we love in extreme music, being fast, furious, heavy and absolutely evil. The band continues to fire their acid fusion of Death and Black Metal in Meet Me in Hell, inviting us all to bang our heads nonstop to the devilish, piercing riffs by Leander and João; whereas the hellish sound of their guitars permeate the air in Blood on Satan’s Claw, bringing to our ears four minutes of undisputed heaviness and obscurity. And in Demonic Warfare we face another round of first-class Black and Death Metal spearheaded by the inhumane roars by Beatriz while Eduardo dictates the pace with his pounding drums, not to mention the striking solos by Leander.
9th Layer of the Abyss is a song that can be considered Okkultist’s ultimate black mass, taking us on a one-way journey to the pits of the netherworld while Eduardo brings forward sheer doom through his slow and steady beats; whereas back to a more infuriated mode, this unstoppable horde will darken our minds with the brutality and harmony found in Thy Blood, Thy Flesh, Thy Sacrifice, showcasing once again striking riffs and solos, devilish blast beats, and the always mesmerizing she-demon gnarls by Beatriz. Then in loving memory of the one and only Alexi Laiho (RIP), it’s time for their rendition of Children of Bodom’s hit Sixpounder (check out the original one HERE) from their 2003 critically acclaimed album Hate Crew Deathroll, presenting a fantastic job done by the entire band from start to finish. Lastly, closing the album we’re invited to slam into the pit one last time to the sound of Crimson Ecstasy, with Beatriz growling viciously while David’s bass and Eduardo’s drums make the earth tremble in the name of Extreme Metal. In addition, not even the unnecessary lengthy silence at the end of the song (before one final invocation of around one minute comes up) ruins the track’s overall quality. I wonder if they had to release an album with over 40 minutes of duration as requested by their record label, and that was their way of doing it.
The caustic and thrilling O.M.E.N., which is available in all of its glory on YouTube and on Spotify, and on sale from the Alma Mater Records’ BandCamp page and webstore, as well as from Apple Music (or you can click HERE for links to the album and all other things Okkultist), will certainly open countless doors worldwide for the band, and you can also show them your support and admiration by following them on Facebook, on Instagram and on YouTube. “Dark times exist so we can harness that power through them, and rise above anything or anyone that has tried to put us down. This album is for YOU – YOU who have survived through the worst of your days, YOU who didn’t know what to do when things got tough, YOU who’ve felt hopeless, blind, beaten up, not knowing where you have to be in life. You are not alone. Take this album, and use its strength to show you how endless your inner power is. It’s all in your hands,” commented Beatriz about their newborn spawn, an album that will feature among the best hailing from Portugal this year hands down.
Best moments of the album:Death to Your Breed, Meet Me in Hell, Thy Blood, Thy Flesh, Thy Sacrifice and, obviously, Sixpounder.
Worst moments of the album: None, except for the length of the first track and the extensive silent break of the last track.
Released in 2023 Alma Mater Records
Track listing 1. O.M.E.N. 4:00
2. Death to Your Breed 3:24
3. Meet Me in Hell 4:31
4. Blood on Satan’s Claw 4:05
5. Demonic Warfare 4:33
6. 9th Layer of the Abyss 4:13
7. Thy Blood, Thy Flesh, Thy Sacrifice 4:05
8. Sixpounder (Children of Bodom cover) 3:26
9. Crimson Ecstasy 10:12
Band members Beatriz Mariano – vocals
Leander Sandmeier – lead guitars
João Corceiro – rhythm guitars
David J. Rodrigues – bass
Eduardo Sinatra – drums
A unique Black Metal album that is the consequence of the descent and return from below carrying the flames and lava on its scales, giving it back to the world in posthumous vengeance.
Following up on his highly-acclaimed 2015 album Casket Dream Veneration, Lisbon, Portugal-based Black Metal one-man horde Onirik, the brainchild of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Gonius Rex, returns with yet another distinct and heavy-as-hell album entitled The Fire Cult Beyond Eternity, the fifth studio album in his solid career. Active since 2002, Onirik has been exploring Black Metal in several approaches, always faithful to its original purpose, the emission of unordinary, dissonant and raw outputs with trance-inducing atmospheres, typically very cold and bathed in magic. With the special guest participation of none other than Dirge Rep on drums (Gehenna, Enslaved, Orcustus, The Konsortium), and mixed and mastered by Semjaza of Thy Darkened Shade at Sitra Ahra Studio, who also took care of the album’s ambient elements, The Fire Cult Beyond Eternity is the consequence of the descent and return from below carrying the flames and lava on its scales, giving it back to the world in posthumous vengeance.
Prepare your senses for six minutes of a classic Norwegian Black Metal inferno in the opening tune Cult Beyond Eternity, where Gonius Rex extracts sheer malignancy from his guitar while gnarling demonically at the same time, and it’s impressive how he is capable of adding so much groove and progressiveness to his Stygian creations such as Trapped in Flesh, Blood and Dirt, piling up additional layers of awesomeness to his already scorching sound while guest Dirge Rep takes care of the violence and brutality with his blast beats. Then our avid ears are penetrated furiously by over nine minutes of a downward spiral into the pits of the underworld together with Gonius Rex entitled Assigned to the Inexorable Flames, with his bass lines sounding utterly demented, groovy and wicked, proving how talented and focused he is at what he does, with the entire song feeling as grandiose and somber as it can be from start to finish.
In Melodies of Reflections and Praise this unearthly entity offers us all a modern yet old school version of Melodic Black Metal infused with Progressive Black Metal elements where Dirge Rep continues to deliver insanity and intricacy through his beats, providing Gonius Rex all he needs to distill his Jazz-inspired bass jabs. And venturing through the sluggish realms of Doom Metal, Onirik blast the heavy and thunderous Granted the Vision, Molded into Stone, with the bass punches by Gonius Rex allied with the slow and steady beats by Dirge Rep punching us all in the head mercilessly. After such dense extravaganza, and again blending traditional Black Metal with modern-day sounds and a demented atmosphere, we’re treated to an avalanche of darkened sounds for our vulgar delectation in Murmurs of the Aging Vessel, with both Gonius Rex and Dirge Rep being on fire with their respective sonic weapons, whereas back to a more berserk mode Onirik haunt our souls one last time with their infuriated Black Metal in Apathy of Might, and they keep hammering their instruments nonstop until the song’s grand finale.
You can show your support and admiration for Gonius Rex’s alter ego Onirik by following the project on Facebook, and of course by purchasing a copy of such incendiary album from the underground Portuguese scene from the I, Voidhanger Records’ BandCamp page or from the Metal Odissey webstore in CD or in LP format. “I have travelled beyond the casket and returned only to illustrate the certain retribution. This time the old ways flow deep like liquefied lava, ready to break the wounds of this earth and resurface in arsonists’ bliss,” cryptically said Gonius Rex about his newborn album, and even if you have no clue what exactly he wanted to say, let me tell you that the best way to understand his eerie words is by playing The Fire Cult Beyond Eternity at top volume and enjoying one of the best releases of the Portuguese underground scene in this obscure year of 2020.
Best moments of the album: Trapped in Flesh, Blood and Dirt and Assigned to the Inexorable Flames.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2020 I, Voidhanger Records
Track listing 1. Cult Beyond Eternity 6:15
2. Trapped in Flesh, Blood and Dirt 4:35
3. Assigned to the Inexorable Flames 9:00
4. Melodies of Reflections and Praise 7:32
5. Granted the Vision, Molded into Stone 6:18
6. Murmurs of the Aging Vessel 6:47
7. Apathy of Might 5:32
An uncanny entity from Portugal is unleashing upon us a savage beast that lives up to the legacy of dirt and raw old school Black Metal.
The gates to the underworld are open in the beautiful city of Lisbon, Portugal, thanks to the venomous and unrelenting fusion of Black and Death Metal played by a mysterious entity that goes by the name of Barbaric Horde, ready to decimate your senses and leave you completely disoriented after the 28 minutes of infernal music found in their debut full-length opus, nicely titled Axe of Superior Savagery, are over. Featuring an old school artwork by Warhead Art and layout by Maciej Kamuda Art, Axe of Superior Savagery is a much bolder beast than their 2016 demo Gasmask Perpetrators and their 2017 demo Tainted Impurity, while at the same time keeping the band’s utterly raw and dirty core musicality intact, therefore living up to the legacy of the early days of Black Metal.
And this uncanny Portuguese entity quickly arises from the pits of hell with the fulminating opening track Tyrant of the Dark Trynity, offering our putrid ears a high dosage of evil in the form of insane blast beats, crude riffs and Stygian vociferations. Put differently, it can’t get any more underground than this, followed by Antichrist Command, bringing forward blasphemous, acid lyrics (“Flames of holocaust unconquerable / A new world alliance / Forged on the caustic fires of vengeance / Hideous fiends throw the kings head to the rats / One by one the knife will do god’s work”) amidst another infernal and visceral display of Black Metal infused with Death Metal elements. Then rumbling, doomed bass lines permeate the air in the also wicked Venomous Infernal Carnage, with extreme aggression flowing from their riffage while the song’s apocalyptic and tribal beats give the overall sonority a sense of despair and violence; and even more disturbing than its predecessors, Barbaric Provocation is a lesson in primeval Black Metal showcasing gruesome gnarls and roars, while the guitars and bass keep reverberating and piercing our ears mercilessly.
Furious and frantic drums dictate the rhythm in the ode to darkness and blasphemy titled Bow Before the Altar of Satan, where razor-edged guitar riffs will cut your skin deep and make you bleed in the name of extreme music, whereas the title-track Axe of Superior Savagery will simply smash your skull with its fusion of the rawest forms of Black and Death Metal. Hence, it couldn’t have sounded more demonic, as if Cannibal Corpse and Mayhem merged into one single entity of pure evil. Vicious guitars and a menacing, bold atmosphere are the main ingredients in the also disturbing chat Storms of Primitive Violence, sounding and feeling berserk and insane form start to finish, also presenting a very raw sound that will please all fans of the genre, before they offer us all one final blast of demented sounds not recommended for the lighthearted in the form of Wrath of Goetic Glorification, where truly demonic growls from the depths of the underworld lead this sick display of pure and unfiltered Black Metal, ending the album on a perturbing note.
Barbaric Horde’s infuriated display of Black and Death Metal can be better appreciated in its entirety on YouTube, and you can also show your support to the underground of the underground by listening to more of their music on Spotify and by purchasing Axe of Superior Savagery from the Godz ov War Productions’ BandCamp or webstore, from Rex Diaboli’s BandCamp or Big Cartel, or from Discogs. This eerie Portuguese horde, which I suspect is formed by two devilish members, is showing a lot of potential with Axe of Superior Savagery, aiming at carving their name in the Portuguese metal scene as one of the most barbaric, inhumane and dirty entities playing our beloved Black Metal, consequently putting a huge smile on Satan’s face for effectively representing him in our decaying and rotten world through their hellish music.
Best moments of the album: Antichrist Command and Bow Before the Altar of Satan.
Worst moments of the album:Venomous Infernal Carnage.
Released in 2020 Godz ov War Productions/Rex Diaboli
Track listing 1. Tyrant of the Dark Trynity 4:23
2. Antichrist Command 3:02
3. Venomous Infernal Carnage 4:32
4. Barbaric Provocation 2:57
5. Bow Before the Altar of Satan 3:27
6. Axe of Superior Savagery 3:03
7. Storms of Primitive Violence 3:34
8. Wrath of Goetic Glorification 3:31
After two decades of their inception, this talented Portuguese Death Metal squad is finally unleashing upon humanity their pulverizing and very technical debut opus.
Born in the distant year of 1997 in the capital city Lisbon, Portuguese Death Metal horde Cronaxia has been fighting for extreme music in the fantastic Portuguese underground scene since their inception, never giving up despite all their struggles to find the right musicians and finally solidify their lineup and sound through the years. Currently a trio consisting of Sérgio on vocals and Renato and Filipe on the guitars, Cronaxia recruited bassist Alex Ribeiro and drummer Rolando Barros (both from Portuguese Brutal Death Metal/Grindcore band Grog) now in 2018 to give life to their first full-length album, a pulverizing and very technical lesson in Death Metal titled Collapsing the Outer Structure, highly recommended for fans of bands like early Kataklysm, Morbid Angel and Deeds Of Flesh.
Mixed and mastered by Paulo Vieira, known for his production work with Ironsword and Ravensire, Collapsing The Outer Structure is a work that walks the tightrope between genius and insanity, with songs like the jagged, restless “Dimension Ratio” being a vivid explosion of mind warping ideas. Immersed within these eight conceptual whirlwinds, the feeling is akin to having the secrets of the universe downloaded directly to your cerebral cortex in a fraction of a second. Bewildering yet incredible, almost too much to comprehend, you will find few listening experiences as overwhelming and intense as Collapsing The Outer Structure. It may have taken Cronaxia two decades to reach this defining moment, but now that their planets have aligned the force that has been unleashed is momentous and breathtaking.
In the title-track Collapsing the Outer Structure we already face total devastation in less than five seconds, with Rolando living up to the legacy of classic stone crushers of Death Metal while frontman Sérgio growls and barks like a rabid beast, sounding frantic and furious from start to finish. If this brutal welcome card is not enough for your metallic ears, Cronaxia don’t waste a single second and keep hammering our heads with their ruthless music in Logarithmic Cavitation, an insanely violent, heavy and extreme display of underground music made in Portugal where Felipe and Renato are in total sync with their lancinating riffs and solos, followed by The Core Condition, another brutish and demolishing hymn showcasing thunderous bass lines by Alex while the vocal lines get deeper and more demented than before, sounding and feeling as dense as Extreme Metal can be but also being very technical and polished. And get ready to be smashed by Cronaxia and their sharp and cataclysmic Death Metal in Dimension Ratio, where Rolando fires some sick blast beast and fills while Felipe and Renato continue to extract complex and demonic sounds and tones from their guitars.
The awesome Continuous Signal brings forward a pulverizing atmosphere crafted by the band, being tailored for fans of the early days of Cannibal Corpse with a fresh twist, not to mention Sérgio never gets tired of vociferating rabidly and deeply. Then it’s time for a galloping and demented composition titled Embryonic Reanimation, led by the bestial drumming by Rolando while Felipe and Renato show no mercy for their guitars (neither for our necks), whereas their second to last onrush of gruesome and very technical and melodic sounds comes in the form of Plasmatech, crushing our senses with its metallic riffs and unstoppable blast beats. Put differently, what a devastating (and absolutely awesome) Death Metal extravaganza by Cronaxia, with highlights to Sérgio’s cavernous growls. Hence, if you’re still alive after such demented level of aggression and dexterity by Cronaxia you’ll have your ears and mind decimated by Tangential Threshold, offering six minutes of deep guttural gnarls, nonstop beats and extremely sharp and acid riffs, or in other words, a lesson in Progressive and Technical Death Metal, ending the album in a rumbling, neck-breaking and somewhat esoteric manner.
In order to have your ears smashed by Cronaxia, simply go to Spotify to listen to Collapsing The Outer Structure in its entirety, and if their music makes your blood boil as expected, you should definitely show them your utmost support by following them on Facebook, subscribing to their YouTube channel, and grabbing your copy of the album from their BandCamp page, from the Lusitania Music webstore, from Amazon or from Discogs. By doing that, you’ll prove you have what it takes to “collapse the outer structure” together with this talented Portuguese squad in the name of Death Metal.
Best moments of the album: Dimension Ratio, Continuous Signal and Plasmatech.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2018 Lusitanian Music
Track listing 1. Collapsing the Outer Structure 2:07
2. Logarithmic Cavitation 4:03
3. The Core Condition 4:11
4. Dimension Ratio 3:43
5. Continuous Signal 3:34
6. Embryonic Reanimation 3:02
7. Plasmatech 4:39
8. Tangential Threshold 6:03
Band members Sérgio – vocals
Felipe – guitars, vocals
Renato – guitars, vocals
Unheralded Death Metal heroes from Portugal, Undersave have been carving their own path, and every half a decade or so we get an album that is a huge step ahead from the previous one. Mixed and mastered by Diogo Santana at Noise Portrait Recordings, and displaying a sinister artwork by Belial NecroArts (Hierarchies, Perishing, and many more), the band’s third full-length opus Merged In Abstract Perdition displays a marked progression from their 2018 sophomore Sadistic Iterations… Tales of Mental Rearrangement without completely abandoning their core sound, offering an infernal yet intricate slab of Dissonant Death Metal carefully crafted by Nuno Braz on vocals and guitars, André Carvalho also on the guitars, Renato Laia on bass, and Pedro Pereira on drums, being therefore tailored for fans of Immolation, Ulcerate, Replicant, Maere, Gorguts, Dysgnostic, and Saevus Finis, among others.
In summary, Undersave may have just come up with a must-listen album for any fan of extreme music, rivalling if not surpassing not only their own albums but also those by the other luminaries in the style. Hence, you can find those talented Portuguese metallers on Facebook and on Instagram, including their pulverizing live shows, stream their unique creations on Spotify, and of course put your damned hands on Merged in Abstract Perdition from their own BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store, or simply click HERE for all things Undersave. Merged in Abstract Perdition is indeed a masterful album that is at once dark, dissonant, and atmospheric, and once you dive deep into its vicious sounds, get ready for a one-way descent into madness.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 