In the year of 1985, the year when the first edition of Rock in Rio festival happened in Brazil, it caused a massive earthquake, because Metal became famous and stirred things in the scene on the country, with shows in the underground being filled with many young Metalheads, and the brutal aspects of Brazilian Metal scene became evident. So it’s not a surprise to deal with an album as “Implore Pela Morte”, the first album of the Guarulhos-based band CRÂNIO MALDITO. The band is a brainchild of the guitarist David Fulci (known for his playing on acts as AJNA, GESTOS GROSSEIROS, ANARKHON, DAMAGEWAR and others), who wanted to have a work in the Old School Death Metal way, in the vein of acts as DISMEMBER and ENTOMBED on their early works (the days of jigsaw guitars), but some traces of PARADISE LOST on “Lost Paradise” days can be heard as well; and along him is F. Opositor on drums (a longtime friend of David).

So things are in the most noisy and putrid form of Old School Death Metal (something that Brazilian musicians can do easily), but of course one can fell traces of other extreme Metal genres as well. It’s really a very good release. The production seems to be done by David himself, keeping things crude and putrid as it’s possible, but without causing problems to the deeper understanding of what’s being played by the band. It’s noisy, distorted and filthy, but understandable. And the cover (an art of Emerson Maia) depicts the Old School Death Metal tendency of the band’s music, all worked in black and white.

All the songs have lyrics on Brazilian Portuguese (for the country that gave birth to a genius on terror as Coffin Joe, it’s nothing unexpected), so be prepared for some massacre of ears. But if you’re a Death Metal fan, go as deep as you can on songs as “Obcecado por Crueldade” (a grotesque and nasty song, based on classic fast tempos of Death Metal and with sharp jigsaw riffs), “Grotesco Monólito da Morte” (the speed decreases, and it’s as morbid as a funeral, with grunts and snarls sounding as coming from a nightmare, but pay attention to the guitars’ arrangements), “Saboroso Cadáver” (another very good song based on slow tempos), “Nascido no Necrotério” (pay attention in the weight summoned by bass guitar and drums on this one), “Implore Pela Morte” (where the distortion and the contrasts between Death Metal and Old School Death Metal can be heard), and “Ressuscitando o Cadáver Podre”.

As final words, it can be expected a future release from the band, because “Implore Pela Morte” will have such appeal between Old School Death Metal fans that CRÂNIO MALDITO will have to release something more, sooner or later.