“Under The Sign Of Rebellion” is the fourth full-length album from the Brazilian death metal band, REBAELLIUN. The band plays a fast, thrash-heavy form of death metal akin to fellow Brazilians, KRISIUN. REBAELLIUN was formed in 1998 and split up in 2002. They then reformed in 2015 and were going strong until the untimely death of their lead vocalist, Lohy Fabiano in 2022.

 The first track, “Intro” sets an ominous tone with its string and horn arrangements. Thankfully, this track doesn’t linger too long. The following track, “All Hail The Regicide,” is full of jackhammer drumming and lightning-fast guitar work. There are certain unexpected pauses and transitions in this track and nearly every other one on this album. I love when music surprises me and the unexpected elements enhance the track. In the case of “Under The Sign Of Rebellion,” these “bonus” parts are confusing and they do not fit within the context of the songwriting.

 Also, nearly every track features a self-indulgent, noodling guitar solo. Evandro Passos is a talented guitarist. I question the necessity of a long shredding lead guitar solo in every song. For instance, “Fear The Infidel” has Passos shredding more than a cheese grater in several places. This album makes for enjoyable casual listening, but there are plenty of places where I question the songwriting. They add in some melody for the sole purpose of ending “Fear The Infidel.” This melodic part is functionally useless because it is so short-lived.

 “Light Eater” begins with an excellent riff that toes the line between thrash and groove metal and reminds me of early SEPULTURA more so than KRISIUN. Overall, this is a fun track right up until they switch to a brief thrash riff to close the song out. REBAELLIUN are at their best when they “stick to the script.” Any attempt at innovation falls flat.

 The penultimate track, “Antagonize,” is lots of fun. I like the changes in tempo between two different speeds. The faster part is full of aggression and gets me going. The slower part offsets and complements the speedier passages. There’s one part that sticks out as overzealous where Moreira gets a little bit too happy with the drum rolls. Otherwise, his tribal drumming in this song is a highlight of the album.

 The album closer, “The Ultimate War,” is equal parts boring and thrilling. The instrumentation is excellent. The brilliant inspired elements get you thinking and nodding your head, but they get right back to the hook after one head nod. Most of “Under The Sign Of Rebellion” is standard death metal fare. Every new and interesting idea is quickly blotted out by the buzzing guitars and blast-beat drumming. The release is a fun listen the first time through and my complaints are minor given the grand scheme of the album. Every track has plenty to like as long as you can forgive certain idiosyncrasies.