"Way Of Perdition" is the debut album from Brazilian power trio, THE DAMNNATION. Part of the new wave of all-female Extreme Metal groups, they firmly establish themselves with a well-designed record meant to cater to lovers of many different genres. "Way Of Perdition" was released on May 6, 2022, via Soulseller Records.

The disc opens with an almost sludgy intro on "Before the Drowning." That shifts to a nice heavy rhythm driven hard by a catchy riff. The delicate leads over the riff are offset by the gritty, almost guttural vocals. The gritty vocals are accented by the backing and layered voices. The drums are rapid-fire and most excellent. The bass is absolutely thundering.

The title track is another thundering rhythm with a tasty riff placed over it. The lead work is less delicate and a bit more precise on this one. The vocals go closer to growl here, even in the backing vocals. The track is melodic, yet brutal. THE DAMNNATION have created a really good mix of the various genres they cross.

The record is not a concept album but has some definite themes. Pain, grief, despair, and dread are all present and plentiful. Even in "This Pain Won't Last," there is anger and frustration. Followed by "Grief of Death," it is possible to see how these songs are not completely tied together, by have a fairly obvious influence on each other.

"Slaves Of Society" may mean something entirely different to THE DAMNNATION, but the world is feeling pretty enslaved these days. Wars, inflation, hopelessness, and fear seem to be the norm these days. Human rights are being stripped and violated all over the world. The guitars are heavy, though on the more melodic side for this track. The drums are slower at the start but do into blast beats as the rhythm heats up. Those little shifts in tempo are not drastic but are really well-placed.

"No Hope Inside" is another pain -induced track that feels like the state of the world today. There are a few almost sludgy moments in this track, going to yet another place THE DAMNNATION can tread without sounding outside their comfort zone. The album wraps with "The Greed," a lightning-fast song that has a killer melodic middle section that has a few tempo changes inside the phrases. The variable pacing is really well done and is a great way to end the record.

THE DAMNNATION really set a pretty high bar for themselves. This is one of the better debuts out recently. The songwriting is complex and thoughtful, both lyrically and musically. It is pretty hard to believe this is a power trio and not a five-piece. The layers of sound create a bigger sound than you expect to hear, and the songs are so well played that you forget there are only three musicians making all this beautiful sound.