Brazilian Metal

The Troops of Doom – Antichrist Reborn Review

By Steel Druhm on April 14, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 40 comments

“Here’s an interesting release for you. The Troops of Doom (likely named for the classic Sepultura song) are a new Brazilan thrash/kinda-sorta death metal act, having only formed in 2020. Despite the project’s relative youth, the various members are grizzled scene vets with years spent in many other metal acts. On their Antichrist Reborn debut, they offer an interesting blend of classic thrash and death influences full of righteous nods to the big names that influenced them. The core sound is very much in line with early Sepultura material like Schizophrenia and Beneath the Remains, but vintage Slayer riffs percolate throughout and inform the writing, and the band’s deep Celtic Frost appreciation also becomes apparent on several tracks.” Old dogs, nasty bites.

Edu Falaschi – Vera Cruz [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]

By Eldritch Elitist on December 12, 2021 in Things You Might Have Missed 2021, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, 34 comments

“I fucking love Angra. When I was first hired onto the AMG team, I even entertained the idea of adopting the handle of Angra Metal Guy, partly in retaliation to AMG Himself‘s review of Secret Garden. That piece is what convinced me to apply to this blog in the first place. I agree with a lot of the Guy‘s takes, but the notion that Secret Garden was an improvement over the band’s older material, which is infinitely more effervescent and charismatic, is borderline delusional. Now, with the opportunity to review Edu Falaschi’s first solo outing of original material, I feel something close to vindication.” Cruzin’ to wictory.

Trance of the Undead – Chalice of Disease Review

By Dear Hollow on September 12, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 46 comments

“Sometimes you just need an audio beating, to crank that funky brutal music to 11 and let your ears bleed. The issue with a lot of beatdown music is that there’s simply too much of it and not enough contrast, which is why bands like Isis or Opeth were applauded in their heyday, while Tetragammacide and Deiphago are chastised like a class clown. Having your skull beaten in is fine and dandy, but you need some sophistication. A baseball bat made of maple instead of ash, perhaps, or a titanium crowbar instead of iron. Maybe a fist with some pretty rings or maybe even a bedazzled tire iron? Brazil’s Trance of the Undead utilizes predictable beatdown techniques in its blackened death attack.” Discount diseases.

Hevilan – Symphony of Good and Evil Review

By Holdeneye on March 18, 2021 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Symphonic Metal, 43 comments

“If you are one of the poor souls who’s managed to follow my pedestrian music journalism career, you know that I’m a hopeless Nevermore weenie. There’s just something about the way they combined immense, progressive, down-tuned riffing with powerful, operatic vocals that is incredibly pleasing to my ears. I was therefore absolutely defenseless against the promo blurb that touted Hevilan guitarist Johnny Moraes as having appeared in Warrel Dane’s live band, as well as on the late Nevermore singer’s posthumous solo release, Shadow Work.” Good times, bad times.

Nervosa – Perpetual Chaos Review

By Roquentin on January 25, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 27 comments

“While at one point it certainly seemed like Nervosa would become another bullet point in a long list of last year’s disasters, the Brazilian thrashers successfully survived 2020. They came out of it wounded like most of the world, sure, but still alive and kicking. If anything, the loss of the rest of her band (bassist and vocalist Fernanda Lira and drummer Luana Dametto) due to cryptic “personal reasons” seems to have viciously reinvigorated the group’s founder and frontwoman Prika Amaral.” Reborn in chaos.

Paradise in Flames – Devil’s Collection Review

By Dear Hollow on October 13, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, Deathcore, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 11 comments

“Paradise in Flames is a Brazilian black metal quartet, having released two albums, two demos, and an EP since their 2003 formation. While their third full-length’s cover poses questions, a glance at their promo confuses further. They cite death metal countrymen Sepultura and Sarcófago as influences, while the Devil’s Collection was mastered by producer Tue Madsen of Meshuggah and Dark Tranquility fame. Such first impressions are baffling, but the looming question is: is Devil’s Collection any good?” Riffing is fundamental.

Jupiterian – Protosapien Review

By Carcharodon on September 8, 2020 in Reviews, Sludge, 15 comments

“Lured in initially by that artwork – unmistakably Mariusz Lewandowski but with a teensy variation on his typical hooded figure and preferred color palette – the advance track (“Mere Humans”) for Jupiterian’s Protosapien sounded huge; as in, geologically significant. This Brazilian four-piece was previously unknown to me, so off I scurried to the AMG archive dungeons to ensure that it could be mine to review! I was to be disappointed, as I discovered that a certain Muppet had in fact reviewed the last slab of atmospheric doom sludge dished up by Jupiterian. Then, when the news broke that Muppet was going to be pursuing interests outside The Hall, I realized that the follow up to 2017’s Terraforming was up for grabs after all.” Grab for the stars.

Válvera – Cycle of Disaster Review

By Holdeneye on September 6, 2020 in Reviews, Groove Metal, Thrash Metal, 9 comments

“Of course Sepultura comes to mind when discussing thrash metal that originates in the giantest country in the Down Under of the Americas. But besides a general affinity for the creation of pleasing riffs, there are not a whole lot of similarities between Vãlvera and their famous countrymates.” Vicious Cycle.

Scars – Predatory Review

By Huck N Roll on August 4, 2020 in Reviews, Thrash Metal, 40 comments

“Thrash albums should be an hour long. FALSE. Why do bands think that? The latest from Testament is a great example of a recent thrash album that would have been excellent if twenty minutes had been shaved off it. In fact, just last week as the AMG crew hurled insults across the six-foot barriers at each other, one thing we agreed on was that thrash albums need to aim for the 29-minute sweet spot. Also known as the Reign in Blood theorem, it is seemingly impossible for bands to get close to.” Lowering the Scar(s).

Guardian of Lightning – Cosmos Tree Review

By Steel Druhm on July 15, 2020 in Reviews, Stoner Metal, 12 comments

“Heavy metal. Rock n’ roll. Attitude. Swagger. These are all good things, and if you can blend them together just right, they can create a great thing. Brazilian upstarts, Guardian of Lightning call their style of music “thunder metal” and they employ a lead bass in lieu of the traditional lead guitar as a kind of secret weapon. On their Cosmos Tree debut, this beefy threesome openly threatens you with a good time, taking a stoner metal style with plenty of attitude and making it as weighty and burly as possible.” Good wood.