Dolentia
“O Ressurgimento da Verdade” (Altare Productions, 2022)

I have always thought of Dolentia as a sort of secret the Portuguese Black Metal scene did not allow to escape the claws of the Warlock. Melancholy and Nature were always two of the adjectives I have used to describe the band’s music and overall existence. Cripta Oculta always sounded to me like a very medieval Black Metal band. The band crafts melodies that have the ability to “paint” specific images, and Dolentia follows the same path. Melancholy and Nature, as mentioned before, are the best way to describe the band. A sound that carries the weight of Sadness and Despair. A band, in Portugal, that “paints” the same image in InThyFlesh, which makes sense given their connections, but musically speaking we approximately have the same feeling when we listen to Luctus, then when we listen to Satarae (and I have always loved his work with ITF): you can feel the despair, the pain, the sense of failure and destruction. It is incredible how we are able to absorb so much out of music and define such a clear path.

Then we have one more element that believe helps a lot to shape the music that both bands create. Those who have been to Porto know how the city is like, the heaviness one feels when walking those streets, those dirty and old streets of cobble stone, how much sadness those buildings carry. That reflects on the music these Artists create, and we can almost touch it. Dolentia’s music is dynamic enough for you to enjoy the ride. Their sound is, like the “sister band”, very recognizable and singular. Again, can it be the city of Porto? The guitar riffs are filled with hate and anger, the drums are pounding their way through the violence, powerfully. All these songs are immensely heavy and deep. Try this exercise: close your eyes and press PLAY. Let the melodies flow and absorb them as they pass by. Opener, “Destruição” is a great example of how the band is able to structure these little details that make their music as big as it is. Whenever the band extends their riffs, the atmospheres, the music grows and grows. Any of these tunes is close to perfection in terms of feeling and emotions; that bond with Melancholy and Nature passes on into the music, and this is the result.

It is Dark, Reassuring, a Soft Embrace; it is Blood and Viscera; it is Earth and Human… Dolentia’s latest opus is a magnificent piece of Black Metal. Crawl back to the womb of Degradation and worship the roots that will one day choke you.

A L T A R E