Erected in Brazil, Contagem/Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais around, give or take, 2007 AD, comes Necromante, a band formed by Macabro Oculto and currently reinforced by Leandro Kastiphas & Joubert Thaumiel. Necromante plays Black Metal, is to say: evil and wicked Metal in the undiluted Cogumelo vein.
Necromante’s second full-length album, ‘XI’, released in 2022 via Iron Bonehead Productions, is a potent invocation of this arcane Brazilian Black Metal. Emerging from the shadows after their 2017 full length debut entitled ‘The Magickal Presence of Occult Forces’, the trio from Brazil conjures a sound that feels genuinely ancient, less like a modern homage and more like a lost relic from the early ’90s Underground.
A rigid reorganization and the increasingly odd behavior of our demented archive keeper in the crypt (he came with the premises) led to this gem, being shelved and accumulating dust, nevertheless we present it to you now, here, today.
As said earlier, ‘XI’ is steeped in the typical old school Brazilian occult mysticism and ungodly dread of its old scene and bands. The album channels the creepy spirit of early Rotting Christ, Tiamat, Onslaught (UK) and Samael’s ‘Blood Ritual’, but with a unique Brazilian twist, evoking the cinematic horror of the classic ‘Zé do Caixão (Coffin Joe)’ trilogy/horror series and the raw energy of a Sarcófago, Mystifier, and Impurity.
The production is abrasive yet deliberate, allowing the music’s arcane spectral aura to breathe through martial drum blasts, serpentine guitar leads, and haunting acoustic interludes. Vocals are utterly evil, satanic and blasphemous, spewed out and delivered with conviction.
Necromante’s instrumental prowess has definitely matured. Their grasp of the dynamics is sharper, shifting seamlessly between mid-tempo passages and bursts of violent buffal stampeding Brazilian intensity. There’s a subtle Doom-laden quality throughout, nodding to Mortuary Drape, which deepens the album’s funeral tone. Tracks like ‘Serpentine Fire’ and ‘The Venom Between Gods’ showcase this duality, ritualistic yet feral, melodic yet menacing.
A couple of the finest samples/examples on this are: ‘The Equinox of New Aeon’ – which opens with ceremonial flair.’Lucifer Rising’ and ‘Necro Fire Angel’ deliver blistering blackened assaults. ‘XI (The Dark Night of the Soul)’ stands as the album’s thematic centerpiece, drenched in esoteric gloom. ‘Solve et Coagula – Astral Light to the Kaos’ closes the ritual with transcendental fire. And the album has the obligatory Intro & Outro in Portuguese.
‘XI’ doesn’t just sound old, it feels ancient, still amazingly genuine. Old School influences and aspects of Brazilian Black Metal that transcends nostalgia to become something truly timeless and otherworldly. Iron Bonehead’s release of this album on CD and vinyl is another bulls-eye (they also released the 2017 ‘The Magickal Presence of Occult Forces’ cassette on CD and 12′ vinyl) as it guarantees a timeless album with the finest influences drawn from old school Black Metal from the late 1980s and ealy 1990-s and pouring them in a crucible of Authentic Metal.
Trust me, you can’t do without this essential release if you’re a fan of this type of music ad the above mentioned bands or releases. It gets a big thumbs up and kudos to Iron Bonehead productions for bringing it to the masses. If anyone asks, I’ll be in the pub around the corner, drinking horse piss ale. Cheerz!
