Vetus Sanguis is a Portuguese one‑man Black Metal project from Braga, introduced in 2022 with the demo ‘Sangue Velho’, a raw, Portuguese‑language release steeped in early Scandinavian influence, pagan imagery, and anti‑Christian themes. The project operates in the underground tradition of solitary Black Metal entities, emphasizing atmosphere, mysticism, and ideological purity over technical polish.
Vetus Sanguis emerged from Portugal’s fertile underground Black Metal scene as a solitary project driven by Perversus. The name: Latin for “Old Blood”; signals a deliberate return to ancestral, primal Black Metal values. The project aligns itself with the raw, ideologically charged spirit of early 1990s Black Metal, rejecting modern polish in favor of atmosphere, ritualistic intent, and cultural rootedness.
A demo entitled ‘Sangue Velho’ was released in 2022. Musically the raw venomous music reminds of old Bathory, early Satyricon and Carpathian Forest, although keeping an uniquely Portuguese sound like Ventr of which the music also reminds me. The use of Portuguese lyrics is central to the project’s identity, reinforcing a sense of lineage and regional authenticity. Lyrical themes revolve around anti‑Christianity, witchcraft, paganism, misanthropy, and spiritual decay, framed through a distinctly Lusitanian lens rather than Nordic imitation.
The demo offers an authentic raw production, avoiding any artificial lo‑fi gimmicks, strong grim atmosphere, especially in the intro and mid‑tempo passages, Lusitanian cultural identity, reinforced by Portuguese lyrics and themes and what I would call ideological clarity, firmly rooted in traditional Black Metal values.
I’d say it’s a successful first effort, being an almost ritualistic offering. Song writing, performance, production are completely tuned to its early Black Metal aesthetics and mystic and primal atmosphere.
Great demo of genuine old school Black Metal: fans of the genre and Portuguese Black Metal in general can blindly purchase this release and Hellprod Records have another impressive release under their belt!
