As time passes by, a band needs to release new material to show the fans that they’re alive. Some prefer a different strategy: the re-release of older material with a refreshed appeal. Honestly: if it’s good, it can be reissued thousand times. For those who love Avant-Garde Metal tendencies, the name of the Brazilian AS DRAMATIC HOMAGE (sometimes referred as ADH) is mandatory to be known, and here is the reissue of their 2022 single, “Symbolic”. A wild fighter on Rio de Janeiro Metal scene, the band evolved from a Doom/Black Metal act throughout the years to an Avant-Garde Metal act that mixes influences from extreme Metal ways to Progressive Metal/Experimental tendencies, what means a musical expression full of contrasts and done with many layers.

It’s not so simple for many Metalheads to deal with the band’s music, but for open-minded ones, it’s truly a delight! The production worked in a way to make things understandable and clean for the understanding of the hearers, because the songs show an ample set of influences; but at the same time, there are parts with an aggressive insight that demands distortion. The whole sonority balances such aspects without problems. And as guests, here are Artur Cirio on the first guitar solo of “Symbolic”, and Renato Varjolo on the acoustic guitar solo on “Insight”, effects on “Passage” and on the second guitar solo on “Symbolic”.

“Symbolic” is a suit composed of three parts: “Insight” (an intro), “Passage” (that’s a deep and melancholic instrumental song with acoustic outfit), and then comes “Symbolic”, a song filled with contrasts between aggressive parts and melancholic/Progressive ones, filled with amazing and Avant-Garde ambiences and contrasts between aggressive moments with harsh vocals and others with clean tunes. Then comes a radio edition for “Symbolic”, shorter and keeping the same elements of the other. Even after three years, this Single didn’t lose its beauty.

Let’s hope that AS DRAMATIC HOMAGE is planning a successor for “Crown”, their first full-length (released back in 2012). Until then, “Symbolic” is here to create high expectations.