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Album Review – Orthostat / Monolith Of Time (2019)

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A heavy-as-hell album ranging from slow and doom-ish parts to infernal blast beats, proving once again the underground Death Metal scene in Brazil is a lot more interesting than you might think.

Forged in the year of 2015 in the fires of Jaraguá Do Sul, a city located in the north of the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, Death Metal squad Orthostat is unleashing upon humanity their debut full-length opus, entitled Monolith Of Time, a heavy-as-hell album ranging from slow and doom-ish parts to infernal blast beats, and a natural follow-up to their 2016 demo Into the Orthostat. Comprised of David Lago on vocals and guitars, Rudolph Hille also on the guitar and Eduardo Rochinski on bass (all supported by session drummer Thiago Nogueira), Orthostat are sending a solid statement to all fans of old school Death Metal with their new album, proving once again Brazil is and will always be an excellent source of underground metal music no matter which part of the country you visit.

Recorded by David Lago at HellFrost Studio, in Brazil, produced and engineered by David Lago and Thiago Nogueira, and Mixed and Mastered by Thiago Nogueira, Monolith Of Time will provide your ears a feast of pulverizing and highly technical sounds, with its lyrics dealing with themes related to ancient civilizations, their culture and their wars, all enfolded by a cryptic artwork by illustrator and storyteller Carlos Bercini. In other words, Orthostat offer in Monolith Of Time everything a metalhead can ask for in an album of Death Metal, and after hitting play you better get ready to have your skull crushed by this talented and ruthless horde of Brazilian musicians.

In the opening track, entitled Ambaxtoi, ominous sounds grow in intensity while desperate background vociferations make the whole atmosphere dense, disturbing and grim in great fashion, but after two and a half minutes the music morphs into sheer Death Metal for our total delectation. After such powerful start we’re treated to Qetesh, a lesson in gruesome and vile Death Metal by Orthostat where Thiago crushes his drums manically while David and Rudolph make sure our skin burns with their scorching riffs, not to mention the song’s uncanny lyrics (“Oh, Qetesh, deity of intercourse / Stream thy heat on us / Bring the human instinct forth / The breeding mild / The species thrive / Surviving the wild”); followed by Eridu, another classic and putrid Death Metal extravaganza spearheaded by the pulverizing riffs by the band’s guitar duo, with David taking his growling to deeper and deeper lands while Eduardo doesn’t stop smashing his bass chords violently. And it seems that their sonic havoc has no time to end, with all band member firing absolute fury and aggression in Incitatus, showcasing a very classic sonority the likes of Cannibal Corpse and Six Feet Under where not only the instrumental pieces are extremely well executed, but the vocals by David are also as visceral as they can be.

Then we have over six minutes of brutal sounds in Baetylus, with its lyricis perfectly representing what can be called “dark poetry” (“A large flint / Coned shaped obelisk / Wears the wool / Garbed deity / Pour the oil / Make the pebble shine / Hefty boulder / Stone divine”), and with the music ending with a sick guitar solo as the icing on the cake. If you’re a fan of the more straightforward sound by Cannibal Corpse, but with huge dosages of complexity added to the sound of each instrument, you’ll love The Will of Ningirsu, offering the listener nonstop action by the entire band with highlights to David, Rudolph and Eduardo’s razor-edged strings. Full of breaks and variations, Tezcatlipoca is a headbanging tune where your skull will be shattered by the unrelenting drums by Thomas, presenting over nine minutes of scorching riffs, pulverizing beats and rumbling bass lines. Furthermore, after a phantasmagorical break halfway through it, the band’s steamroller of Death Metal returns in full force to destroy your senses, working as their “coup de grâce”. And the song that carries the name of the band, Orthostat, closes the album by bringing forward a fusion of Death and Doom Metal recommended for fans of truly dark music, evolving into another sonic demolition boosted by the demonic guitar riffs and solos by Eduardo and Rudolph.

This precious gem of old school Death Metal from the Brazilian underground scene can be better appreciated in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but if you want to show your true support to Orthostat don’t forget to grab your copy of Monolith Of Time from their own BandCamp page, as well as from iTunes or from Amazon. In a nutshell, if you love pure, old school Death Metal, you must give Orthostat’s debut album a listen without a shadow of a doubt. And do you want to know why? Because they crush, as simple (and as Death Metal) as that.

Best moments of the album: Qetesh, Incitatus and The Will of Ningirsu.

Worst moments of the album: Eridu.

Released in 2019 Sangue Frio Records

Track listing
1. Ambaxtoi 7:12
2. Qetesh 5:13
3. Eridu 4:38
4. Incitatus 5:04
5. Baetylus 6:18
6. The Will of Ningirsu 4:50
7. Tezcatlipoca 9:17
8. Orthostat 6:09

Band members
David Lago – vocals, guitars
Rudolph Hille – guitars
Eduardo Rochinski – bass

Guest musician
Thiago Nogueira – drums (session)

Album Review – Eternal Sacrifice / Ad Tertium Librum Nigrum (2018)

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Relive the glory of 90’s Black Metal by listening to “the third black book” diabolically brought into being by one of the most important names from the Brazilian extreme music scene.

Forged in the already distant year of 1993 in the blazing fires of Salvador, the capital of Brazil’s northeastern state of Bahia, a malevolent Pagan/Black Metal unity that goes by the name of Eternal Sacrifice has been haunting our souls since their inception, aiming at delivering a detailed and obscure new concept inside the Pagan Black Metal genre and, therefore, creating their own unique sound from an amalgamation of influences and styles. Now in 2018 the horde comprised of M. T. L. H. Anton Naberius on vocals, Charles Lucxor Persponne on the guitar, Marquis Orias Snake also on the guitars and bass, Sado Baron Szandor Kastiphas on keyboards and Frater Deo Sóror Comite Ferro on drums is firing upon humanity their third concept album, entitled Ad Tertium Librum Nigrum, taking the Pagan Black Metal to a level never reached by another band in terms of sound and graphic production.

Featuring a Luciferian artwork by Brazilian designer Alan Luvarth and celebrating 25 years in the career of Eternal Sacrifice, Ad Tertivm Librvm Nigrvm, which by the way is Latin for “the third black book”, presents around one hour of malevolent sounds split into ten unrelenting new songs (all carrying fantastic names, by the way), consolidating the name of such distinct entity in the vanguard of the Brazilian Pagan Black Metal scene. “Ad Tertivm Librvm Nigrvm is the greatest proof that strength and perseverance always win; it is an album full of symbologies and spells, made exclusively for those who enjoy the songs of the left hand,” said the band’s frontman Naberius, positioning the album as an indispensable work for those who have experienced the glory of 90’s Black Metal, and for those who seek to know more about that golden age of extreme music.

Somber, smooth piano notes kick things off in the intro curiously titled Introiro, before the guitars by Charles and Orias generate an embracing atmosphere in The Three Mashu’s Seals – The Conquest of the Ganzir and Arzir Gates (Hazred Area), bringing the most melodic elements from modern-day Black Metal without losing their raw old school sonority, feeling like a hybrid of the early days of Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth and Marduk, with the keys by Kastiphas adding an extra touch of malignancy to the musicality. And this Brazilian horde keeps invading our minds with their relentless and demonic music in the 8-minute Melodic Black Metal extravaganza The Vision of the Light of the Sculptures in the Monument of Mashu (The Black Book of Signs and Evil Spells), with Frater crushing his drums while Kastiphas keeps blasting ethereal sounds through his keys, all spearheaded by the Stygian and cryptic growls and vociferations by Naberius.

The Amulet, the Fire and the Seals of Wisdom in the Course of a Triple Life carries a stunning name for an Extreme Metal song, with the slashing riffs by Charles and Orias dictating its rhythm, while Naberius roars and gnarls like a true demonic entity throughout the entire song and Frater keeps the ambience as eerie and menacing as it can be with his drums. Then we have The Revelations of the First Sigil, Lucifer, After a Saga of Delusions and Battles, a mid-tempo tune where all band members fire blackened sounds and tones with highlights to the demented growls by Naberius, not to mention how in sync the band’s stringed duo is with Kastiphas’ phantasmagorical keys, and there’s no time to breathe as Eternal Sacrifice keep firing blasphemy in the form of Pagan Black Metal in When Angel of Light in Ur, in Invoking the Second Sign Agga, even more eccentric and devilish than its predecessors albeit not as gripping, despite getting back to a to a more violent and demolishing sonority in its final part.

Epic keys and guitars, unstoppable drums and a huge dosage of malignancy from Naberius’ otherworldly growls are the main ingredients in Nasha, Restitution of Double the Light (Luce) and Harmony (Fer) – Pagan’s Calls, a visceral fusion of Black and Pagan Metal setting fire to the atmosphere in a thrilling manner (not to mention how pulverizing Charles and Orias are with their infernal axes), followed by Interludium, an epic bridge that captivates our senses for their final blast of Epic and Pagan Black Metal titled The Emptiness, the Guard of the Sortileges and the Time in which the Dust Takes the Rites, starting with an acoustic guitar accompanied by the howling sound of the wind, and gradually morphing into some sort of obscure mass of old school Black Metal infused with Symphonic and Pagan Black Metal elements, with the music flowing like a frantic creature in the dark led by Naberius and his wicked vocalizations, until all fades into the Mephistophelian outro Prologum, an ode to Lucifer that puts a climatic, creepy and hellish end to such blasphemous album.

After all is said and done, Ad Tertium Librum Nigrum, available for a full listen on YouTube and on sale from the Hammer of Damnation’s BandCamp page or webstore, can indeed be considered a modern-day masterpiece in Pagan Black Metal, becoming even more important in the Brazilian scene due to the constant struggles every metal band has to face to survive in the country. Hence, don’t forget to show your support to Eternal Sacrifice by getting in touch with them through their Facebook page, by buying their new opus, and of course by enjoying reading (or I should say listening to) “the third black book” by this ruthless and demonic South American horde.

Best moments of the album: The Three Mashu’s Seals – The Conquest of the Ganzir and Arzir Gates (Hazred Area), The Amulet, the Fire and the Seals of Wisdom in the Course of a Triple Life and Nasha, Restitution of Double the Light (Luce) and Harmony (Fer) – Pagan’s Calls.

Worst moments of the album: When Angel of Light in Ur, in Invoking the Second Sign Agga.

Released in 2018 Hammer Of Damnation/Sangue Frio Records

Track listing    
1. Introiro 1:50
2. The Three Mashu’s Seals – The Conquest of the Ganzir and Arzir Gates (Hazred Area) 8:00
3. The Vision of the Light of the Sculptures in the Monument of Mashu (The Black Book of Signs and Evil Spells) 8:03
4. The Amulet, the Fire and the Seals of Wisdom in the Course of a Triple Life 6:27
5. The Revelations of the First Sigil, Lucifer, After a Saga of Delusions and Battles 5:12
6. When Angel of Light in Ur, in Invoking the Second Sign Agga 6:18
7. Nasha, Restitution of Double the Light (Luce) and Harmony (Fer) – Pagan’s Calls 7:59
8. Interludium 2:10
9. The Emptiness, the Guard of the Sortileges and the Time in which the Dust Takes the Rites 8:22
10. Prologum 3:08

Band members
M. T. L. H. Anton Naberius – vocals
Charles Lucxor Persponne – guitars
Marquis Orias Snake – guitars, bass
Sado Baron Szandor Kastiphas – keyboards
Frater Deo Sóror Comite Ferro – drums

Album Review – Aske / Broken Vow EP (2017)

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A short, dark and acid sample of the new phase by an up-and-coming Brazilian Extreme Metal duo, pointing to a bright future ahead of them.

Forged by bassist Filipe Salvini and guitarist Lucas Duarte in 2009 in the city of São Carlos, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, and being deeply rooted in classic extreme music styles, Brazilian Black/Death Metal act Aske has been making a name for themselves since their inception due to the high quality and originality of their music, playing in several local festivals and being invited to record the opening song for a Brazilian music program named Arte Extrema (with the single “Alcoholic Audition”). Now in 2017 Aske kick off a new phase in their career with a very cohesive and obscure EP named Broken Vow, pointing to a bright future ahead for the duo.

After releasing their debut demo in 2009 named A Dawn to Ruin, followed by another demo titled Scars from the Whip in 2014 and their first full-length album Once…, releases in 2015, Aske return with a different sonority due to a considerable lineup change, but still extremely loyal to their foundations in Broken Vow. The artwork in their new EP was conceived by photographer and designer Ayla de Lilith and bassist (and now also vocalist) Filipe Salvini himself, who commented that “our band has been through a short period of adaptation in the past few months, and we thought a new release with a few original songs would be a nice way to keep ourselves honest in our production process and ideal for us to get ready for a bigger future”. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Eugenio Stefane at 1979 Estúdio, Broken Vow brings to us metallers three brand new songs by Aske, a cover song for an underground classic by American group Pentagram, and a remastered version to one of their previous songs, released in 2016, as a bonus track, and as unique as all tracks in the EP might sound they all make sense when put together as you’ll be able to see.

The groovy and piercing guitars by Lucas ignite the dark and melodic tune Meadows in Shade, a solid display of underground Death and Black Metal where Filipe showcases his vocal abilities as the band’s new growler, delivering anger and obscurity with his raspy gnarls, whereas the blast beats and cutting riffs in the kick-ass Death Metal onslaught Menschwerdung (German for “incarnation”) will penetrate deep inside your mind, sounding truly bestial and aggressive from start to finish. Furthermore, Filipe increases the savagery flowing from his growling while at the same time punching us in the head with his bass lines. Then in Broken Vows we’re treated to a more metallic and modern version to one of Pentagram’s cult songs(check the original version HERE), where both Filipe and Lucas are precise with their strings, and with Filipe also powerfully darkening the original vocal lines by the iconic Bobby Liebling.

Mardi Gras, the first single released in this new phase of the band, is another heavy-as-hell blast of Death Metal with some more Stygian elements from Black Metal, with highlights to the pounding riffs by Lucas. And, as aforementioned, as a bonus we have the audio of the official video for the song Übermensch (German for “superman”), originally released in their 2016 album Once… with previous lead singer Paulo Roberto still on vocals (as well as Luciano Galhardo on guitars and Renato Lourenço on drums). As a matter of fact, although their past formation feels more blackened than their current sonority, in my humble opinion both “versions” of Aske sound amazing.

What are you waiting for to know more about Aske? Go check what this Brazilian duo is up to on Facebook, listen to their music on YouTube, and buy your copy of Broken Vow (which can be enjoyed in full on Spotify) at the band’s own BandCamp page (and soon at the Sangue Frio Records’ webstore). After such strong EP, let’s wait and see what Filipe and Lucas will have for us next, and by that I mean we can surely expect a high-quality full-length album of extreme music hailing from Brazil, no doubt about that.

Best moments of the album: Menschwerdung.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2017 Sangue Frio Records

Track listing
1. Meadows in Shade 3:58
2. Menschwerdung 3:45
3. Broken Vows (Pentagram cover) 4:30
4. Mardi Gras 3:06
5. Übermensch (Video Version) 2:53

Band members
Filipe Salvini – vocals, bass
Lucas Duarte – guitars

Album Review – Rigor Mortis BR / The One Who… (2016)

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Feel the stiffness of death dominate your body after being crushed by the brutal Death Metal blasted by this old school quartet made in Brazil.

Rating5

capa02-grandeRigor mortis (or “stiffness of death” from Latin), is one of the recognizable signs of death caused by chemical changes in the muscles post mortem, which cause the limbs of the corpse to stiffen. Just add to that a “BR”, and the final result will exhale putridity and toughness, the two main elements found in the impetuous Death Metal played by the excellent Brazilian underground squad Rigor Morts BR, who are releasing a feast of old school extreme music entitled The One Who… for the delight of fans of Suffocation, Cryptopsy, Dying Fetus and Cannibal Corpse. If you’re ready to bang your head like a maniac until your neck stiffens to the point you cannot move it anymore, then Rigor Mortis BR will definitely help you achieve your main objective.

Formed in the 90’s by guitarist Alexandre Rigor in the city of Porto Alegre, the capital of Brazil’s most southern state, Rio Grande do Sul, Rigor Mortis BR offer fans of heavy music a lecture in brutality mixed with a refined technique, always loyal to the foundations of Death Metal by keeping their musicality extremely raw and visceral. Going beyond the limits of the human mind and especially of our actions and primeval nature in their lyrics, Rigor Mortis BR have been fighting for years against financial setbacks and the hassles of finding a record label, but it seems they have finally found the right partner for the release of The One Who…, as the entire team from Sangue Frio Produções are huge supporters of the Brazilian underground scene and certainly provided everything Rigor Mortis BR needed to spread their carnivorous Death Metal all over the world.

A short macabre Intro prepares the listener for Dialeto de Morto (“dialect of the dead”), a putrid Death Metal composition that takes violence to the limit, with bassist Christian Peixoto blasting some low-tuned punches before drummer Ricardo “Chakal” Chiarello begins his furious performance. Their sonic carnage continues with the demented Psychotropic Illness, where lead singer Leafar Sagrav (or Rafael Vargas backwards) sounds truly possessed due to his bestial deep gnarls while Alexandre Rigor delivers old school riffs through his evil guitar; followed by Human Flesh Juice, with the putrescent growls by Leafar and the insane beats by Chakal leading this infernal tune that brings forward traditional Death Metal with hints of Black Metal. Despite being cavernous at all times, it’s still very technical, showcasing how skillful the entire band is, as for example the wicked solos by Alexandre.

Medieval Impalement, the longest of all tracks, presents elements from sluggish and evil Doom Metal with Leafar offering some hellish gnarls commonly found in Black Metal, therefore enhancing the song’s obscurity. It’s tailored for fans of the heaviest form of Death Metal you can think of, where the sounds brought forth by Alexandre on guitars are insanely menacing. Following that damned song, Rigor Mortis BR keep paving their furious path of devastation with Find Body Parts Toy, with highlights to its unstoppable beats and another demented performance by Leafar on vocals. The second song of the album sung in Brazilian Portuguese and a demonic composition that sounds absolutely demolishing, Febrônio Índio do Brazil, is about a famous Brazilian serial killer known as “Filho da Luz” (or “son of light”), with the entire band translating the violence and bloodshed of his lunatic acts into their merciless Death Metal.

Interlúdio is a very quick break before all hell breaks loose once again with Raw Meat Sugar, with Chakal sounding as if he’s pounding his drums with a sledgehammer, consequently reaching a whole new level of heaviness and being highly recommended for some sanguinary mosh pits and ferocious headbanging. And closing the album we have the title-track The One Who…, bringing forward some modern elements without losing its old school essence. While Leafar’s growls and screams get deeper and deeper, Alexandre fires razor-edged riffs that will cut your ears mercilessly until the end of this bestial song.

In order to explode your ears and stiffen your neck headbanging to the music by Rigor Mortis BR, go check their Facebook, YouTube and ReverbNation. There are several locations where you can purchase The One Who…, as for instance the Sangue Frio Produções’ webstore, The Metal Vox, Heavy Metal Rock, the Odicelaf webstore and directly from the band’s Facebook shop. By supporting bands like Rigor Mortis BR, you are not only providing your neck an endless source of pain due to the brutality emanating from their music, but you’re also helping underground Death Metal to stay alive, which is always a good thing.

Best moments of the album: Dialeto de Morto, Human Flesh Juice and Raw Meat Sugar.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2016 Sangue Frio Records

Track listing
1. Intro 0:23
2. Dialeto de Morto 2:31
3. Psychotropic Illness 4:45
4. Human Flesh Juice 3:26
5. Medieval Impalement 6:14
6. Find Body Parts Toy 3:58
7. Febrônio Índio do Brazil 3:28
8. Interlúdio 0:24
9. Raw Meat Sugar 3:56
10. The One Who… 2:48

Band members
Leafar Sagrav – vocals
Alexandre Rigor – guitar
Christian Peixoto – bass
Ricardo “Chakal” Chiarello – drums