KARNAK SETI, presumably named in reverence to a temple of Set, formed at the turn of the century. They hail from a small island in an archipelago situated over the African Tectonic Plate but is governed by Portugal. Despite being from a small remote island, the band delivers an oversized sound, cranking out their own style of Melodic Thrash/Death Metal. Over their impressive 20+ year tenure they have released three full-length studio albums and two EPs. Their latest EP, “Restos,” was released January 12, 2024, marketed via Viral Propaganda PR.

“Restos” features only four tracks but still manages to break the 20-minute mark, with the shortest track clocking in at close to four minutes and the longest stretching past six. The album itself is a relentless assault of Melodic Death with a thick edge of groove from the beginning to end. The vocals have a Hardcore vibe—e.g. lots of pissed off shouting—but are more on the clean side than guttural. Let’s call them gritty and raw. Although the band is certainly an Extreme Metal band, their overall tone is tempered by the deep-set harmony of their down-tuned rhythm and groove-laden locomotive riffs.

When I first saw the title, “Restos,” I assumed it referred to the Latin term that translates to “rest.” I then realized the band is Portuguese and so the title actually translates to “remains”—a little more befitting a Death Metal outfit. It also explains the cover which depicts five totem figures that look like they were rendered from the scribblings of someone who gazed upon a nameless horror too long and then tried to draw it. These figures stand in a field of skulls. Oh, and they also have cyclopean red eyes. One each except for the main figure in the forefront which has a nest of additional eyes hanging off its head like a spider’s egg sac. Yeah, so “remains” it is, like the remains of one’s sanity. This ethos saturates the album. Brutal and aggravated but captured within the webbing of some very fine engineering. 

All the tracks are more than solid and there are a lot of great moments that makes the album buzz. For instance, the percussions on “Down Beneath” feel heavy tribal and are reminiscent of SEPULTURA. There are also sheer drops that leave us with nothing but the bass and drums while Antonio sharpens his fangs for the next assault. Standout tracks are the title track, “Restos,” and the aforementioned “Down Below,” the final and longest track on this too short EP. I also have to remark on the killer bass work of Claudio Aguiar throughout the album.  

I’m not sure why the band opted for an EP this time around instead of maybe pushing for a few more tracks. Maybe it was time, maybe budget, maybe these four tracks captured everything they needed to say at the moment. Altogether they comprise a very tight clear theme— unyielding carnage. Some thoughtful, well crafted Melodic Death for the ages.