“Abstracted have been a band since 2013, and their long-gestating debut record, 2022’s Atma Conflux, was an effective and varied slab of djenty progressive death metal, marred by tepid production and less-than-stellar clean vocals. More than anything, though, it showed potential as a record brimming with ideas that was so close to being great. With Hiraeth, can the Brazilian group finally unify their influences into something more than the sum of their parts?” Add and Abstract.
“Back in 2023, Brazilian death crew Fossilization dropped their Leprous Daylight debut on the unsuspecting world below, impressing Cherd
in the process with its Incantation-esque blend of ghastly cavern crawling and 5-ton doomy digressions. He even went so far as to suggest it was superior to Incantation’s then-new platter Unholy Deification while generally singing the praises of preserved beast bone recovery. Fast-forward a few years, and the band’s sophomore release, Advent of Wounds, falls to me as Cherd has gone missing in a very nonsuspicious way that does NOT require police involvement or any half-assed internet sleuthing of any kind” Digging for cave bones.
“When considering what Brazil is best known for, people often throw out things like the Amazon rainforest, round-ball football, coffee, beef, and that really tall statue of the Christmas Superstar, but you and I both know that Brazil is primarily known for thrash metal. Seeking to add to that legacy, Deathraiser is raising themselves from the dead by releasing sophomore album Forged in Hatred a mere 15 years after their debut.” Hate can’t be built in a day.
“Max Cavalera casts one hell of a shadow in metal, with a wide swath of bands he’s either founded or played alongside. Though Cavalera’s mightiest legacy will be his time with Sepultura, he’s been with Soulfly over twice as long. In that time, Max and company have written and recorded thirteen albums. On latest offering Chama, the elder Cavalera relinquished producing credits and creative focus to his son and Soulfly’s drummer, Zyon, providing an opportunity for a fresh direction.” Fly in the flames of time.
July Filters get sticky from the heat. It takes time to cool em down and unstickify those rascals. We did it though, for YOU.
Vertebra is a Brazilian act that formed in the mid-‘90s, disbanded before releasing a debut, and has now re-emerged from the sands of time with a mission to finally finish what they started. Their long-overdue debut, The Same, promises a slab of progressive death/thrash which balances “raw edges” with “melodic awareness” in a way that “defies the passage of time.” Can these reunited rockers craft a collection of tunes that innovates and stands alongside their clear inspiration?
2024 can’t truly be history til all the Filters are unclogged. Here comes the gunk!
“One of the best ways for an unknown band to pique a potential listener’s interest is to promise an immersive story. Eldermoon, a fiery new band from Curitiba, Brazil, attempts this tactic with debut album Egregora. The narrative is told by an omniscient entity called the Moon who watches the various stages of human existence—encapsulated in each of the 10 tracks—without interference or judgment. The band was even committed enough to write detailed track-by-track summaries of each chapter as part of the promo materials. However, any album that tells a story must also offer quality music if it wants repeat listens” Moon landing or Moon fall?
“Ten albums down. This landmark tests a band in many ways—not everyone’s destined to land on Defenders of the Faith after all. That vital quality, consistency, remains part of that longevity. And as Angra Metal Guy has stated before “Consistency has been hard to come by for Angra.” At least that was until Secret Garden fell upon the world and took with it those words.” Angra management.
Angra are back with a new power metal opus this week, so we did our official ranking. You may not agree, but you must study this grand work of metal journalisming.
