The Brazilian Metal scene is mainly underground, with few names getting the deserved recognition of the fans worldwide. The 'power of the mark' (a concept on my own, derived of the need that people have to be attached and entangled by greater names of Metal scene, and ignore others that can be even better) still holds people and protects those who have nothing more to offer. On the extreme Metal scene, names as DESDOMINUS, VULTURE, DARKTOWER, KAMALA, NĀDHA and others from Brazil are really able to make you forget those senile bands that are here just for respect of the fans (and not of their musical work). And WARSHIPPER, a quartet hailing from Sorocaba (SP), is another name to side with the others above, because "Essential Morphine", their new album, is a clear proof of such words.

Their musical work can barely be labeled as Death/Thrash Metal, but there are tons of different influences on their musical boiling cauldron (as some Heavy Metal and Hard Rock touches heard on "Migrating Through Personality Spectra", and even some beautiful and catchy melodies shaped by saxophone touches on it), enriching even more their musical assault. It can be said brutal and aggressive, but sharpened with refined musical arrangements, tons of heavy weight and a massive energy that binds the fans, and it's spontaneous, uncompromised and full of different and unexpected layers and features (take a careful listening to "Morphine" and you'll understand). And as it predecessor, 2019's "Barren...", this album surely can become a classic into the scene, so listen to it, NOW!

The recordings were done in two parts (the main reason for having Roger at the drums, who left the band, and Theo entered to play guitar, but now is the band's drums) at Casanegra Studio, with Rafael Augusto Lopes production (along with the band), mixing and mastering once more being done by the hands of once more (he can be said as a member of the band as well, since he works with the band's production for a long time), and the final result is amazing: crystal clear and with everything sounding in an understandable way, but with a massive and solid sound mass that can be drilled even by a diamond. And the artwork for the cover is disturbing, subjective and attractive at the same time (an oil painting on a Gabriel Augusto's art, and the design was done by Felipe Zilbra). And in a digipack format that's really beautiful.

It seems that the band isn't working again on a central concept, but there's a positive feeling, because as the album was composed during the COVID-19 pandemic, they had chosen to use the writing of the songs as an escape of all those sadness and depressive time, so music worked as a sedative, a 'morphine' to easy the sadness, the melancholy and even to deal with features as religious leaders (especially during the COVID-19's pandemic, as many of them stand against the social isolation and refused to close their temples' doors, and even promoted medicine as 'preventive' to the people). A bit far from what they did on "Barren...", that had a more negative and oppressive point of view on reality.

A long and disturbing introduction opens "Religious Metastasis", a technical and seductive song with a massive wall of guitar riffs and arrangements (and pay attention to the melodic approach used on the solos). Sounding like a Blackened Death Metal song in some moments, "Migrating Through Personality Spectra" brings the experimental and avant-garde touches that are natural features of the bands work (one can check the use of saxophone parts in the middle of some technical moments with Jazz-like rhythms), and some Hard Rock touches (to create some extreme hooks).

"Perfect Pattern Watcher" is another moment when Blackened Death Metal influences appears (due the melodic hooks similar for Swedish acts as DISSECTION), and pay attention to the excellent bass guitar and drums rhythmic contrasts and arrangements (especially some fretless bass parts) and clean touches. With a keyboard set of arrangements, "Morphine" is a darkened and introspective song with a 'noir' appeal that is extremely different of the band's 'deafult' music, but such experimental approach isn't something strange for them (it's not usual for extreme Metal acts to use Blues-like touches with a Telecaster guitar), and allows the hearers to experience a different expression of the vocals.

Abrasive guitars opens "Magnificent Insignificance" with a different set of experimental riffs, but soon the aggressiveness and technical approach of the band, with slow tempos showing the heaviness they can create (and what unusual fretless bass arrangements can be heard on this one). And "Guilt Trip" is a bonus track that shows some Country/Southern Rock influences, one it is based on clean vocals and acoustic guitars until its half, when the modern weight of Death/Thrash Metal takes over (and what great and technical drumming appears, giving support to melodies that are hard to resist to).

But there are two more tracks on the album (taken out of the other for writing reasons): "The Night of the Unholy Archangel", a cover for an old ZOLTAR's song (a band where Rodolfo Nekathor played on the past), with a more simple and hooking technical outfit, but with WARSHIPPER's identity pulsing on it; and the band's version for "The Twin of Icon", of BYWAR (a Thrash Metal band where Renan played in the past), adorned with some excellent keyboards parts and with intense riffing in WARSHIPPER's way. And these ones were entirely produced by the band.

Yes, they hit the target with a nuclear fusion bomb once more, and you can hear to "Essential Morphine" on the links below:

Spotify: https://bit.ly/3MXoQ2h
Deezer: https://bit.ly/3oB2vy0
Apple Music: https://bit.ly/45zCwI8
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3oAR1uz
Youtube: https://bit.ly/3IIi6ma

Once again, WARSHIPPER shows that they deserve to be respected, and are a spearhead of the Brazilian extreme Metal's scene. Listen to it and become addicted to "Essential Morphine".