During the 90s, Black Metal was responsible for the rise of many cultural traits that where hidden and forgotten by many fans. It’s not a sin that even with SKYCLAD’s contributions, Black Metal recovered the native cultural pride of many, so Folk Metal, Pagan Metal and others gained relevance. It had echoes throughout the world, and in Brazil as well. Today, when one speaks about Brazilian folk culture, it’s still hard to explain questions that colonization erased. But there are resistance focuses that refuse to open hands of Brazilian cultural treasure, and one of the most important names of it is of the quartet MIASTHENIA. And they back for another attack with “Espíritos Rupestres” (that would be translated as ‘spirits carved in stone’), their new full-length.

Once more the band is quartet with the coming of Aletea e and Lith, and some new influences came to the band’s music (as some Death/Thrash Metal-like aggressiveness, intense blast beats as heard on “Guerra dos Bárbaros” and some grunts-like screams, and classic acoustic guitars parts heard on “Guardiã dos Mistérios Rupestres”, “Espíritos Rupestres”, and “Transmutação”), without tearing apart the Old School Symphonic Black Metal/Melodic Black Metal ways that is the core of their music (as in the days when SATYRICON, DIMMU BORGIR and THE KOVENANT were releasing its early full-lengths). It seems that the band matured a bit more in many directions, because the technical aspect is more ample and deeper, with many excellent arrangements, but without losing its extreme hooking elements. Trying to speak in few words, the band keeps its musical identity untouched, but gained some new (and great) elements.

“Espíritos Rupestres” was produced by the band itself at Orbis Estúdio, with Marcos Pagani making the recordings, and the mixing and mastering where done as BroadBand Studio (UK) by Caio Duarte (a partner of long time of the band), and the quartet chose something that fits on Black Metal models, but allowing everything to heard and understood without problems, but without scaring Black Metal fans, or in other words, is the best of both words: a Black Metal sonority, but with everything clear and defined. And the artwork of Tat Quintanilha (cover, totally based on the themes of the lyrics), and Slanderer (layout, visual edition) is aligned with the lyrical concept, and it’s in a way that seems typical from Brazilian folk arts. And the amazing Digibook format turns things even more tasteful.

Once more, the band uses lyrics on Brazilian Portuguese (a feature that is present since their early releases), and as told above, the new features are fitting perfectly on what the quartet plays. Another thing that will astonish the hearers is how their music is fluid and spontaneous, as heard on “Evocação” (that begins with a long intro based on keyboards, soon exploding on an aggressive Melodic Black Metal, full of shrieked voices and contrasts, but with excellent arrangements on the guitars), “Bruxa Xamã” (where blast beats and grunts inherited from Death Metal can be heard, and it’s extremely aggressive, but with very good keyboards parts), “Cárcere da Inquisição” (the rhythmic contrasts of fast and slow tempos is amazing, showing how rich the band’s rhythmic work became as a quartet, as bass guitar and drums are technical and heavy; and the clean female voices are amazing as well), “Saga de Mil Povos” (that brings the band to its classical approach on Black Metal, with a very good set of riffs and arrangements of the guitars and grandiose keyboards parts). “Guerra dos Bárbaros” (this one has a more simple approach, but with charming ambiences), “Tapuia Marcha” (some Old School Death/Black Metal elements arises due the faster tempos in some moments, and a very good and melodic guitar solo), “Guardiã dos Mistérios Rupestres” (this one bears very good slow parts with refined melodic arrangements of the guitars, but with Hecate’s vocals in great shape, some great and eerie ambiences and another melodic lead of the guitars, where some touches of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock can be felt, showing the ample range of influences of Thormianak), “Espíritos Rupestres” (some eerie haunting whispers can frighten the fans, because this song has a melodic and oppressive outfit, but again with a great work from bass guitar and drums, and some grunts appears again contrasting with the shrieked tunes), and “Transmutação” (what lovely clean tunes on the vocals , and the melodic sheath of the instrumental parts is great). And the lyrics are based on a tale written on poetic form by Hécate herself (who writes all the band’s lyrics) called “A Bruxa Xamã”, a female shaman that was labelled as a witch by holy inquisition, with many historical aspects (as Brazilian pre-history and events as the War of the Barbarians and the Tapuia Resistance during the centuries XVII e XVIII), but for those that don’t know, Hécate is Ph.D. on History and especially on pre-Columbian civilizations of America (what means that the lyrics HAVE a sense to exist).

“Espíritos Rupestres” shows MIASTHENIA renewed and refreshed for new trials, and ready to take a higher place in the Metal scene. Taste the album and enjoy. 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

Oh, yes, “Espíritos Rupestres” can be heard here:

Bandcamp

Spotify