It’s always an interesting leap into the unknown to review a band you have no experience with despite them having released several albums. Such is the case with Brazil’s Rebaelliun. They’ve been banging around the South American death metal scene since 1998 but haven’t been particularly prolific, releasing only 3 full-lengths prior to this their fourth platter, Under the Sign of Rebellion. With a sound similar to Krisiun, Morbid Angel, and The Ordher, they aren’t treading any virgin soil, but they’ve been trafficking in thrashy, blasty death for a long time and they know their chosen style well. The earlier albums had big moments and impressive intensity, and Under the Sign of Rebellion sees them keeping true to their trademark sound and style, blasting and pummeling away until everything is ash. Sadly, bassist/vocalist Lohy Fabiano passed away last year after recording for the new album wrapped. This comes after the equally tragic loss of founding guitarist Fabiano Penna in 2018. Needless to say, there’s an air of misfortune hanging over this release. Can Rebaelliun deliver a fitting monument to their fallen brother?
After an anodyne symphonic intro, the gloves come off for the blistering, savage blast attack of “All Hail the Regicide.” It’s like Domination era Morbid Angel, Vader, and Krisiun fighting over bloody flesh scraps as burning anvils rain down upon the Earth. Unrelenting blastbeats and blistering riffs are saturated by angry death roars and all these elements conspire to remove your epidermal layers. It’s feral, over-the-top thrashing death, and easy to love as such. The same recipe is applied to much of what follows with varying results. “The Gods Manace” is another balls-out rager with speed, aggression, and some tasty riffs carrying the day, though it does attempt to dabble a bit in slower tempos and allow room for interesting riffs to spawn and mutate. “Fear the Infidel” takes this further with even greater tempo variation and though it’s still entertaining, at a certain point the absence of the speed and savagery starts to make it feel less substantial.
As Under the Sign scrolls outward, there are noticeable peaks and valleys in the writing. The blitzkrieging “Insurgent Fire” is lively and entertaining, and “Light Eater” sounds like a lost track from Sepultura’s classic Beneath the Remains platter. Elsewhere, “Hostile Presence” revives the salad days of Morbid Angel with a collection of slithering, grasping riffs that feel slimy and dangerous. On the flip side, several tracks end up feeling rather generic and fail to leave much of an impression (“In Heresy We Trust,” “Antagonize”). Even with unsightly warts, Rebaelliun bring so much rabid enthusiasm to the party that it’s easy to root for them and overlook the shortcomings. The album’s 39 minutes fly by at a wicked pace and the song lengths keep any one track from overstaying its welcome. The production is solid, allowing the guitar and vocals plenty of room, and the drum sound is tight.
Evandro Passos delivers a striking performance, offering a large collection of jagged, tooth-extracting riffs of varying speeds. He seems to draw inspiration from the Azagthothian school of riffery, though there are several nods to the Cavalera/Kisser ideals as well. Every song contains between 5 and 500 riffs of relative worth and the man is a fretboard dynamo. Lohy Fabiano’s vocals track closely to prime David Vincent, which is a good place to set camp, and his gruff barks suit the high-speed dirt well. His bass is present and at times quite forward, adding a fatness to the thrashing and scorching. Sole original member, Sandro Moreira provides a stout backbone to the assault with propulsive kit work featuring unexpected nuances. The talent is obvious across the board. The only weakness comes from the inconsistent writing.
It’s always tough to review an album featuring a musician who didn’t live to see his hard work released. Lohy Fabiano did himself proud with his performance and he’s left a metallic legacy behind in his works with Rebaelliun. Under the Sign of Rebellion is a fierce, entertaining slice of South American death metal with top-notch playing and a handful of live-wire compositions. If it was a tad more consistent it would net a much higher score, but there’s much fun to be had regardless. Check this out, then explore their early albums too. There’s some wild and unhinged stuff lurking in their murky past.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Agonia
Websites: agoniarecords.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/rebaelliun
Releases Worldwide: September 22nd, 2023
