South America has to be right up with Sweden on the "Countries that Produce Brain Sawing Metal" list that I just now made up. I have never heard a Metal band from South America that I outright despised and BLACK GRAIL is no exception. Their first full-length album, "Misticismo Regresivo" was released earlier this year and is quite the musical achievement. The entire album is masterfully composed and produced, you can actually pick out the bass without straining (even as a bassist, it's tough sometimes) and each drum beat pops out clearly and crisp. Lyrically, BLACK GRAIL is a cacophony of gang-vocals, heavy reverb and intense, guttural demonic battle-cries. The style of "Misticismo Regresivo" is a darkly psychedelic brand of Black Metal creating something like an evil Jam Band. Like if PHISH did less hallucinogens and instead took up evisceration as their main pastime.

 While the album is completely unique, it's not alien to the genre of Metal as a whole. There are clear nods to classic Thrash, like the riff in the first track "Diálogo Entre Arcanos". Another notable track is "Plegaria Catártica", it's the longest track on the album and has a lot of variety in it's sound. The thing I love most about the track though is the slightly off-key piano near the outro. The final track, "Carta De Un Samsari" consists of baleful screams and a slow, haunting riff. It's a track that can easily give you the willies until the point where the screaming becomes borderline nonsensical, I couldn't help giggling. Something tells me that with all the darkness and gloom BLACK GRAIL has put into their album, they don't take themselves too seriously which is refreshing in the music world.

As excellent as the album is, you would be extremely lucky to find a print of their album considering how only a few hundred were made, however the band also released a split album as well in 2015 with YSENGRIN (although BLACK GRAIL has only one song on the split). BLACK GRAIL worked their asses off in 2015 and their labor has payed off, "Misticismo Regresivo" will drive your ears mad with it's dark and chaotic energy. Definitely a band to keep an eye on in 2016.<