This is the début album of a Portuguese quartet from Lisbon and thankfully it’s not lamentable or operatic, but rather solid thrashy death with plenty of groove to get its hooks in you.

If you were to hear the intro to “Age of Vultures” in a darkened room it might get you a little on edge, but once the slow and deliberate guitars and drums are joined by Inês’s throaty roar the scene is set for wild ride that is about to begin as soon as the pace is upped for the choruses.

The pace is further increased for “My Own Game” where the vocals employ a choppier rhythm than Ivo Durães plays on his guitar as he follows Alex’s tempo changes on the drums.

“Seventh Seal” is a bit more even tempered with its guitar attack and there is a bit more melody to the dynamic sound of the layered guitar.

While I’m familiar with a tale of a trio of porcine siblings, “4 Little Pigs” is not one I know and as it goes from manic blasting to slow and steady before ramping itself up again. Inês’s vocals are cut through by the sharp snare and cymbal crashing on “Refugee” before the driving guitar rhythm is sliced by the piercing lead.

“Slaughterhouse of Cowards” has a bit of a punky vibe to the choppy rhythm, but when it slows down it gets heavier and Rui Luís’s bass fills out the sound with its deep tone.

The lighter guitar melody for “Acid Rain” is overpowered but a rapid drum battery and long drawn out vocals before settling back in to the primary role and focal point of the song. Watching the video https://youtu.be/u2J9CUEDTTk is an interesting experience.

Wrapping up the album with “Beyond Good and Evil” I am remind of how angry and powerful Inês’s vocals are, but at the same time perfectly complemented by the song writing and various tempo changes that keep the songs flowing and interesting.

(8/10 Marco Gaminara)

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