“I worked a full-time retail job while in college, and let me tell you, nothing helps one become thick skinned quite like customer service work. Initially, enduring undeserved tirades from patrons is a day-ruining experience, but after a year or two of dealing with entitled pissants on a daily basis, the anguish turns to utter apathy. Much is the same when it comes to familiarizing oneself with metal’s more aggressive realms; what once seemed shockingly violent in its basest of forms eventually becomes a mundane component of a balanced metallic listening diet. So what is a thrash metal band to do, then, when they want to play fast, angry material while keeping things fresh?” Speed thrills.
Portuguese Metal
Perpetratör – Altered Beast Review
“You can accuse me of being a jaded, cynical bastard and I wouldn’t disagree, but I fucking love thrash so the genre’s often stagnant modern scene leaves me underwhelmed. So can the firebrands of Perpetratör help restore the faith or are they merely hurtling towards a copyright lawsuit?” Rise from your grave!
Sinistro – Sangue Cássia Review
“Two years ago, both Grymm and myself were fairly impressed by Portuguese doom outfit Sinistro’s sophomore album, Semente. The band laid down an ambient, unobtrusive foundation for Patricia Andrade’s haunting vocals, creating a mesmerizing, promising soundscape. Now here we are in 2018 and the band has taken a monumental step forward.”
Moonspell – 1755 Review
“Remember that first time you listened to Moonspell’s Wolfheart or Irreligious? If you’re like me—or half of the other writers here at AMG—that was a hella long time ago. And, after over twenty years, those fucking albums still beckon me. Sure, tag me as a seeker of nostalgia, mark me as a purveyor of the past, label me as a connoisseur of memories. But, like it is with many classic records that have taken hold of me, it’s not just the quality of the music that planted the seed. No, it’s also the when, the where, and the what-happened that occurred the first time I listened to these albums.” History, memory, Moonspell.
Primal Attack – Heartless Oppressor Review
“Primal Attack play thrashy melodic death in the vein of The Haunted but run it through an ‘actually any good’ era Machine Head filter. There’s also a strong Pantera presence in the ‘fuck you’ attitude.” Put on your beater and strap on the heater.
The Ominous Circle – Appalling Ascension Review
“The disturbing rumble of old school, dark and brooding death metal is a familiar one. Burrowing, buzzing riffs, inhuman growls, and tumultuous drums and bass lines are encased in a constant, over-the-top imagery of torture and dread. But why are we so attracted to this blacker than black despair and sense of suffocation?” Embrace the horrors.
MOASE – Vertigo Review
“Post-metal thrives or dies based on its ability to evoke emotion, imagery and thought. This is doubly true for instrumental acts, where words have been abandoned in favor of ambiance and atmosphere. Enter Memoirs of a Secret Empire (MOASE).” Yes, hmm, hmm, now for the next question: Does emotional music have quite an effect on you?
Ricardo Remédio – Natureza Morta Review
“Follow me into the electronic church of Ricardo Remédio, a prolific musician who has collaborated with various doom bands and electronic projects in his native Portugal. Under the divine gaze of Sunn O))) and Ulver collaborator and multi-instrumentalist, Daniel O’Sullivan, Natureza Morta is Ricardo Remédio’s first solo record. The album is atypical in that it contains no riffs, vocals, drums or your everyday heavy metal violence.” And now for something completely different.
Colosso – Obnoxious Review
“Colosso occupy a strange perch in the metal world. While they’re obviously huge Meshuggah fans, their groovy, mid-paced metal is a far cry from the tech-prog peddled by djent bands. Yet the group’s history fits the bill quite well, beginning as a one-man band before gradually accruing members to flesh out their current sound.” More members do not a success make.
Heavenwood – The Tarot of the Bohemians – Part I Review
“Heavenwood charted a strange course over their 20 year career. Coming out of the Portuguese metal scene at the same time as Moonspell, the two bands shared a love of dark gothic rock mixed with elements of black and death metal. Their Diva debut played like Wolfheart filtered through Crematory and The Cure and though less heavy than Moonspell, they were almost as interesting. Then came a ten year hiatus and a radical shift of direction toward the kind of hybrid symphonic goth/black/death style as Septicflesh, Nightfall and to a lesser extent, Rotting Christ.” Pick a card (and a genre).