Utopia Platafórmica

Mara -  “Loka Maer” (2022) Let us go back in time, to 2022, Sweden, and focus on Mara’s 4th release, “Loka Maer”, released by Immortal Frost Productions. Vindsval has been carrying the torch since 2010, and progressively maturing his Art and his Vision. “Loka Maer” was released last year, in March, and it revealed itself to be a very consistent, and interesting work. Sweden is more than known for its contribution to Heavy Metal in general, and Black Metal in particular. The approach, the “formula” used by the Swedish is easily recognizable as being Swedish Black Metal, again showing how the two are connected: the location and the sound. Mara drinks from the Swedish sound, from the Swedish Folklore, and develops a sound that has elements of Old School Black Metal and elements of today’s Black Metal sound. You can expect melodies captured from ancient times, from ancient tribes and ritualistic events, and a clear production. The melodies, the powerful riffing. Mara has gathered the

Fallen Temple 2023 Releases Vonulfsreich “Miasmal Winds” (No Fun House, 2022; Fallen Temple, 2023) From Finland to the World. Vonulfsreich is a Finnish duo composed of the 2 multi-instrumentalists Yonulf and Fogg, and “Miasmal Winds” is their 3rd Full-length, second in 2022, and a peculiar one it is. These 7 tracks “touch” various locations of the Black Metal spectrum: harsher, slow-paced, groovier moments, Old School details… it is a diversified release. Besides the Black Metal elements, the duo venture into Dungeon Synth with “Frost” and it turns out to be a very nice moment, and a transition that works quite well. Overall, these tracks are quite simple and quickly “absorbed” by the listener. Nonetheless, the album has a very curious moment near the end of the 7th, and last, track, “Conqueror”, the song jumps into a very groovy riff, that carries the music until the end. Drums and Synths (correct me if wrong), start off a short, yet cool, 41 seconds jam (all the looks of a cool jam

Bad Blood “The Bad Kind Decides” (Flatspot Records, 2023) The idea of Terror and Violent Way, in the same place, made me smile a good smile. I would never imagine these two together, to be honest. I dig Terror. They are a cool band with a very solid sound. They have the sing along and the “I am going to stab you” thing to them. Violent Way is another one of those precious bands that makes this sound that makes me want to go out and murder a few Fascists! Punk Oi! at its best, full of power and that British melody. Now imagine these two together… Well, Warzone is calling. “No nonsense Hardcore with a punch and pulse”, by Scott Vogel (Terror), and I must agree. From the moment you press PLAY, to the moment it ends, it is a non-stop of power and destruction; thunderous drums and cutting guitar riffs. The formula is quite simple, but not all are able to make it happen, of course. “716 Bust / Bad Blood”, bass killer, pow! Beautiful opening riff, just beautiful. “Buuuuust”, Scott said

  Decayed “From Hell” (Haloran Records, 2023) Well, well, well… Decayed. Decayed should always be looked at as one of the pillars of Portuguese Black Metal. Their long career, honesty, and commitment, make them what they are today, and their sound is a show of that connection with Black Metal. Raised in the 80ies, the band grew and grew, without ever leaving the Underground, but battling on! Where some went a different way, J.A. kept the band focused on their primeval sound: Black Metal. In all honesty, Decayed’s first LPs are, in my modest opinion, fundamental to understand how our scene, the Portuguese scene, grew; their latest ones derive a bit from that sound, from that rawness, although they are, undoubtedly, Black Metal at heart. Years went by and sound has softened a bit, perhaps, or maybe what is available today provides a bigger margin for maneuver… perhaps. But “From Hell” is not a new release. Well, it is, but it is not at the same time. Recorded in 2008, “From Hell” is

“Ao Vivo no Rock Rendez-Vous” (EMI, 2000) Quando era puto tinha uma caveira e um X enormes desenhados na parte de dentro da porta do meu quarto, com Xutos & Pontapés por cima. Os meus pais não acharam grande piada, mas perceberam cedo que não havia volta a dar, e lá se resignaram. Os Xutos, dos quais mais tarde me “divorciei”, deram-me anos e anos de alegria e foram, de certa forma, uma escola. Ainda hoje considero o “78/82” um dos grandes álbuns da música portuguesa, e a “Sémen” A música do Xutos. Para lá das grandes malhas com aquele feeling bem Punk Rock, o serem álbuns bastante “simples” e despidos de grandes artifícios no que toca à capacidade técnica dos mesmos (ainda que o Cabeleira sempre tenha tido uns dedos de topo) sempre me transmitiram essa sensação de inocência e simplicidade. A partir dos 90 operaram um shift na forma como faziam música, e acabei por sentir que esses elementos, que me tinham agarrado anos antes, se tinham dissipado. Reeditado em 2000, mas gravado