Release Date: July 26th 2024. Record Label: Electric Valley Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl
Death: Tracklisting
1.Slowburner 05:47
2Loss of Reality 05:16
3.The Night of a Thousand Days 05:01
4.Decerebration 05:18
5.The Space Between Spaces 05:38
6.Archimedes' Screw 05:32
7.Black Box 06:56
Members
Alexandre C. - Vocals
Pedro C. - Bass
Rodrigo B. - Guitars
Gabriel S. - Drums
Review
Gods & Punks are shaping up to be one of Brazil’s finest Doom/Stoner Metal bands with their latest offering Death which sees the band take a heavier and ferocious sound with the constant shift to a gloomier identity. The album touches upon areas of Prog Rock and Psych Rock with a Proto-Doom atmosphere which sees influences from bands such as Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus and even Deep Purple with some of Alexandre C’s classic sounding vocals.
Opening track Slowburner opens with a huge SABBATHIAN sound which remains for the whole majority of the track but Gods & Punks play classic Psych Rock reminiscent of Pink Floyd. There’s a never ending approach of flashy Proto-Metal guitar solos and sullen Psychedelic sounds with a strangely soulful Stoner Rock determination that allows the song to be quite daring in all the right places.
Second song Loss Of Reality has a certain flow of 1980’s Hard Rock imagery with a Post-Gothic element which allows Gods & Punks to weave a melodic Psych Doom passage into their music with the Prog Rock structure coming into play on the middle section of the track. The vocals retain a sense of urgency to them with a deeply emotional core being felt from Alexandre C’s vocals yet again.
Third track The Night Of A Thousand Days sees Gods & Punk deliver a more FUZZED UP sound which promises huge sounding SLUDGY grooves that have a meaty and muscular presence. The sound can be quite aggressive, down-tuned and mean spirited in places but it’s one of the standout tracks allowing the band to give the record’s minimalistic sound a fabulous OCCULT METAL texture. The song is played at a fabulous slow-to-mid pace that allows the FUZZ ROCK vibe to crackle with a certain DEVILISH quality throughout.
Fourth track Deceleration opts for a seedy Blues Rock delivery which moves into PENTAGRAM and BLACK SABBATH territory and throws in a sinister modern day Stoner Metal appetite. The whole song feels like it was written for a classic 70’s Horror, Thriller or Slasher movie with how the whole story plays out within the decidedly creepy lyrics and Alexandre C’s Occult Rock based vocals. Pedro C, Rodrigo B and Gabriel S impress even further with some dynamic instrumental passages of their own making on Bass, Guitars and Drums respectively.
The final three tracks of The Space Between Spaces, Archimedes’s Screw and Black Box may not have the same creative “WOW” factor as the first half of the album. However, Gods & Punks still conjure up some brilliantly observed Doom/Stoner Metal sounds that flirts dangerously between classic 1970’s Proto-Metal energy and aggressive modern day gloomy expressions especially within The Space Between Spaces and Black Box.
Death is Gods & Punks most subversive, highly surreal, outlandish and brilliantly entertaining record to date that puts them firmly in the driving seat of becoming one of the finest Doom/Stoner Metal bands from the Brazilian underground scene.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Qabar PR for the promo.
Death is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via Electric Valley Records (Europe) and Glory Or Death Records (USA).
Links
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