From the Ancient Shores of Lusitânia

Under the Spell of the Wolf… we Bleed

(Originally written for Black Metal Daily)

 

Black Metal, as a musical and artistic genre, has come a very long way. From the streets of Newcastle to the landscapes of Oslo, and so many places around the Globe, the genre has grown into something magnificent. I have mentioned this more than once, but I truly see Black Metal as the most complex genre within the Heavy Metal universe. “What do you mean by complex”, says that young mate from New Zealand. Well… and this might scare off many of the Black Metal fans, but the genre lives on beyond the Music. Wait, what?! Yes, my friend, this musical, artistic, genre lives in more than one layer of reality; some may not live it… I do not live it in all its plenitude, I assume, but I do understand that encapsulating it within strict and well-defined lines is not an accurate way to describe it, to depict it, to admire its vast intricacy. You could point out that several other genres have the same craftmanship, but no… just no. End.

Joking, of course, but today’s subject is Black Metal, and we are headed for Portugal, and the Old Shores of Lusitania. Shall we?! We are trying to filter down the origins of the genre in Portugal, I remember having a debate with a mate about who came first. He stated that Black Cross could be considered the first Black Metal band in Portugal, but I dare say he was only taking in consideration the aesthetic facet of their Art; remembering seeing a pseudo-expert on social media, claiming that Filii Nigrantium Infernalium and Decayed were the bands that started it all. He got 3 right, I will give him that. But music fans, and it seems that Portuguese Black Metal fans the most, try to hide (?) the fact that a band it receives so much hate, today, was the 3^rd band behind the birth of the genre in these shores.

Moonspell, formerly known as Morbid God, crafted exquisite works of Portuguese heritage inspired Black Metal. Arabic elements that are part of our nation’s History, the structure in which this country was built, if we look back in time. Truly believe that most people are aware of the band’s Black Metal past, their inspiration, the bands they worship as youngsters, and what they crafted with “Anno Satanae” and “Under the Moonspell”, all the way to “Wolfheart”. If you tell me that this was their last Black Metal effort, I will back up your decision, but give these 3 releases their due credit. “Anno Satanae” is a cold, harsh, homage to European’s Black Metal scene of the early 90s. Fernando’s vocal performance is top-notch, perfect for its time. I look at this Demo as an almost hidden pearl of European Black Metal, to which the band added singular elements that perfectly portrait their heritage. Still to this day I find it to be one of the best Demos of the 90s, that I am aware of, of course. This set of songs hadn’t yet “extracted”, from the band, all of its potential, and it presents a band still very raw and clearly looking for its path.

The band’s next release was a 5 song EP. I remember when I got a tape of this from a cousin (years later, of course), and how it amazed me, how it scared me, how it made me understand that this Music was much more than just guitar solos and long epic melodies. “Under the Moonspell” is an amazing Work of Art. Does it hold up today?! I am biased… I grew up with the band's first 4 releases, and they have this immense meaning, but I still get goosebumps whenever I have the chance to hear this live (yes… live, babies).

The band went from cold and aggressive melodies to Arabic dances and magickal tunes. Pedro’s keyboard lines help build momentum and take the Music to a much higher level. Strings, the use of strings! It is remarkable how well they fit. The chanting, the chanting, my friends! The usage of acoustic guitars… This is exactly what absorbing heritage means: the Arabic influence that to this day remains in Portugal led to the band crafting this masterpiece. I cannot praise this release enough. People tend to point out “Wolfheart” as the band’s perfect album, and I agree that it is fantastic, from start to finish; “Under the Moonspell” lives a bit I the shadow of the releases that came after him, and it is OK. Well… it is not OK, in my opinion! You have Arabic, you have Greek, you have Portuguese, you have a bit of everything in there, and it turned out amazing! You have a band that did not settle for just one genre, for just one sound.

Is it Black Metal?! Is it complete Black Metal?! What was Black Metal in the early 90s?! Eheheh it is Black Metal, but it also shows a sensibility that most Black Metal bands of the 90s did not have – can we extract the Greek ones for that equation? – and that is what makes a real difference in the band’s sound. Oh, I discovered Marquis de Sade via this release… thank you, Fernando!

The year was 1995, and the release was “Wolfheart”, on Century Media (thank you Century Media of the 90s, thank you). I believe people were expecting a continuation of what they had heard before, but if there is one thing the band truly has to be recognized for, is there ability to evolve, move towards different goals, create distinct paths, and walk them with pride. I got to hear “Wolfheart” before their previous releases, so to me they sounded like this, period. With this release, and the exposure they got, the crowd grew, and the exposition rose, and rose (and “Irreligious” was the climax of that growth). The question that I now place myself is, “Is this Black Metal?”; like it did care, please, but just to have a point of reference ahahah “Wolfshade (A Werewolf Masquarade)” welcomes you into the band’s world; a small, but warm one. It speaks of wolves, it speaks of death, it speaks of blood. I still have it a one of albums that changed my life, and I could not care less if people frow their eyebrows or laugh their arses off; it shows how little they are actually educated on Music and quality Art eheheh we could go, track after track, dissecting each one of them, to the core, layer after layer, but there is no need, as the overall melody that crosses the album is, in my opinion, their identity. It is a bit – a lot – strange to hear these tunes live, next to their most recent ones. How odd it is.

Moonspell has become the band I want to hate, for the Portuguese Heavy Metal fandom. You either hate them, or love them, as there is no grey area. That is absurd, especially coming from Black Metal fans. Ok, if you are in your 20, just started checking Black Metal, and you are an edgy guy, you are going to spit on them and run to the nearest cliché Black Metal band of the 21^st century. Ok, I also like some of those bands, and will never neglect who these mates were, based on how much I like, or not, their Music. It is insulting to mention Portugal’s Black Metal forefathers and not count Moonspell as one of them! Scene kids (and grown men), aiming for a tough guy image, pfff. I risk saying none of them gave Rotting Christ’s “Triarchy of the Lost Lovers” a go, right?! Yeah, I see you. Looking back on this record, and how it impacts on me now, as an – almost – old fart, I see how much quality it has, how much power it holds, and how identity it has. An instrumental tune like “Lua d’Inverno” is an astonishing approach to ancient Portuguese History. It radiates History and Heritage. The track that follows? “Trebaruna”. Now that is Portugal at its best. From this point on – if you missed it on “Under…” – the band embraced the keyboard and began writing their tale. Pedro Paixão is an amazing musician; the mastermind behind what Moonspell achieved… except on “Butterfly FX”. Mate, what were you on when you wrote that?! “Angelizer”, “Mute”… but back to the early 90s. although the record showed some more aggressive and visceral tunes, it had fans’ beloved vampire tale: “Vampiria”. It is… I am running out of adjectives, but you got the picture. Last time I heard it live I went crazy. It baffles me how can anyone not see the majestic of this music. It’s… it’s immense. Imagine rocking this in the 90s, in Norway, amidst the Black Metal Mafia phenomenon (LOL), in the present of musicians that most of us admire, and thank for their contribution to our musical, and overall artistic, growth. Ah, in your face, mate!

What follows really cemented Moonspell’s position in Europe's Heavy Metal scene. “Irreligious” showed the band engage on a very, very special form of Gothic Metal, a very wolf-like attack on the senses, yet filled with sweet melodies. This is the true vampiric soundtrack, right? Along with Cradle of Filth and Bram Stoker, and Poe books, this record hit me like a bomb! I was 14 when it came out, and I believe I heard “Wolfheart” some time before. Nonetheless, 2 almost perfect records for a teen just discovering extreme music and literature. I was “introduced” to Crowley due to this record. Funny thing, Moonspell taught me more about literature than all my Portuguese Language teachers; exception for an English teacher that lent me some Agatha Christie and Poe books. And people say Heavy Metal is bad for you.

 

Musically speaking, this is the least favorite from the 4 that are mentioned in this text. This record comes from a time when a label made all the difference. I tried to get my hands on taped releases from Century Media like they were the bloody (Un)Holy Grail! All sounded amazing, all. “Irreligious” trails, in a way, the same path all the other former-Black / Death Metal bands had walked until that point, being Tiamat a favorite of mine. Again, the music. It differs, substantially, from its predecessor, adopting a more… Gothic approach. Ok, not that Gothic, Gothic, but slightly Gothic. If attracted a different crowd; some fans decided to step-back and exit; others embraced the different sound that had been crafted and kept on going. “Full Moon Madness” ran over every single one of us, with power. Pedro’s almost silent melody gives it this enormous atmosphere and carries the track into climax. Ricardo’s solo is… stunning.

Now, let us close Moonspell’s untouchable discography. Disclaimer: everything that came after this one will not be mentioned. My sincere apologies to their fans.

Did “Irreligious” prepare us for what was coming? I have no idea. I know, I looked at it with doubts. Their previous endeavor had taken them to musical fields I was not expecting, but this one when straight off the charts, mates! “2econd Skin” is… I have no idea what it is, honestly. Until this day that has to be one of the most annoying choruses I have ever heard. That chorus is out of this World… fast forward that track, and we are presented with an album that captured an atmosphere that we can almost touch. It is still within the realm of Gothic, which the band genuinely embraced from this point on, but it sounds modern, fashion. Small details aside, the atmosphere is claustrophobic, scary, heavy, and almost depressive. I know I “ingested” this record on an almost daily basis, for a while. All these listening helped shape the way I started looking at Religion, for example. I had never been very sure that Religion was a relevant, fundamental aspect of the Human Being, and after absorbing this album, and some side reading, I reached conclusions and opinions. Aside from resembling a spear, straight to the Heart of the Catholic belief, it has this roughly erotic scent to it. Not easy to put into words, to be honest, and it might sound weird… Religion and Erotism, combined, and this is the final product. I have written, in the Past, about this album, and I have a very strong opinion on it. Had the chance to see them live when it came out and loved the songs even more. I would venture say it is their best. Is it the one that I like the most? Is it the one with which I identify the most? Is it the one that had a bigger impact on me? No. It probably was one of the albums that made me reflect the most on what was around me, as a whole; broke barriers and left its mark on the late 90s Heavy Metal scene, especially the Gothic scene. It has, at times, this almost Rock n’ Roll vibe to it, this groove, a very up-tempo rhythm to the songs. Then it goes deep into our core, and slashes a bit of your hope in Life, dragging you into depression. I know this record has the capacity to break me, to pull me into a sad place. Still trying to understand how that goes, to be honest. We started with Moonspell’s Black Metal outlet and ended up in this Gothic danceable groove set of songs, tremendously loved by this scribe, that will linger forever as the band’s last good album, in my opinion. One thing to mention: Crestana’s bass is heavy as Hell in this recording! Why did he leave, right?!

Concluding: Moonspell grew to be one of the biggest bands in a scene that lives halfway underground, halfway mainstream; where big stages and full arenas are recurring, but where small pubs in the UK are home to them. Even though we went separate ways, I will always show my respect to these lads for what they started, for what they gave me, as a music fan, and for what the accomplished. Being from Portugal really strengthen them.

 

“There is always a claw at the end of each hand”