Goatpenis - Flesh Consumed in the Battlefield (2014)

   It was mentioned before that Goatpenis might have the most diverse discography if it's about war metal bands. And "Flesh Consumed in the Battlefield" was probably something that most didn't see coming, cause it was like a complete style switch compared to the previous tendency of the band.
   If their intention was to keep balancing between the extreme metal styles like how old school South American bands did, switching to crossover thrash/death might seem as a reasonable decision. But from the perspective of a black/death or war metal band it's difficult to see why was it an advantageous decision. If they wanted to extend their audience by making an album compatible with hardcore fan audiences, the switch might have been successful, but the same time their music not only got simplified but dummified as well. If this album came out a decade earlier, when hardcore/metalcore was on the rise, it could have become the most brutal record that hardcore/crossover thrash audiences could have got, and it definitely could have became an influential album. But the timing and the band's past making this step questionable. It sounds more like a what if... like experiment, that includes all styles the could have influenced the band members (even black metal is there, but only for the final song), but this time their lesser known influences are mainly represented. It's like a reverse Goatpenis album (could be Goatvagina then?), that doesn't lack catchy themes, has better sound quality and production than usual, but the same time it's far different than what should be expected from the band. 

Nervosa - Victim of Yourself (2014)

   For Nervosa it didn't take too much time after their formation to get a contract from Napalm Records and to become the second biggest worldwide known metal band from Brazil after Sepultura. 
   Their success lied on two factors. First of all, thrash metal was pretty much forced into the background since decades, and there was a tendency in the underground since the late '00s to bring back the style of the early '90s, that was mainly focused on old school death metal, but eventually black and thrash metal were slowly involved as well. Later this tendency infiltrated into the mainstream too in strongly restricted form, mainly by the return of bigger bands of the '90s. Of course ordinary thrash metal couldn't have much chance to gain wider attention, it had to be more aggressive, and Nervosa's death metal influenced thrashing proved to be as a great style pick. Their lyrics also reflected the same social issues and rebelling attitude that have been so usual for thrash metal back then in the '80s, but as the world have changed in some level in the need for more aggressive music, from another perspective the world didn't change at all, for such lyrics didn't lose from their validity. And soon it became evident that Nervosa wasn't joking, they've been impressively active and productive, by playing live literally anywhere they could, and they did their best no matter if they had to play before a few dozens or thousands of people. This is the main thing that could give real authenticity for a band. Also, in the '90s it wasn't new, but still it counted as extraordinary in the underground to see female members in a metal band, but a full female lineup was something else. The whole thing wasn't rare anymore in the '10s, not even in the mainstream, but nearly demanded by the audience, thanks to bands like Arch Enemy and several metalcore bands. And even though their musical approach wasn't so feminine by growling female vocal style, their music in general was still mainly for sissies so to say. Also the whole thing strongly relied on their sexualized appearance like in pop music. And then came Nervosa with their high quality old school thrashing and wilder appearance, that proved to be way more credible and evergreen the same time. It's still strongly improbable that a band with male lineup playing the same music could run the same career as Nervosa did, but that couldn't reduce their self-dedication and efforts to bring back thrash metal for wider audiences in a world that seemingly became more opened and accepting, but the same time maybe even more superficial and ignorant than ever. As in case of evolution and biology it used to be said: "life will find a way", for the mainstream scene it could be converted as: "metal will find a way". 

Coldblood - Chronology of Satanic Events (2013)

   Coldblood was one of the many bands who have been around since a quite long while more or less silently. After a few demo records they've finally debuted with a promising full-length album "Under the Blade I Die" in 2007. After a compilation, that collected their works during the past decades, their return with "Chronology of Satanic Events" was way more impressive than how it could have been expected.

   An experienced band could be heard on the record with well practiced themes, great song compositions, and overwhelming intensity. On the side of the band's evident engagement to old school death metal, plenty of modern features showed up, and most in the song structures. Some sound effects and the assistance of a second backing vocal style also could be sorted to the modern category. But the diverse themes and skull crushing beats introducing old school death metal at its best. The main vocal style might sound a bit unusual, but its dummy primitive impression fits well to the aggressive and vile blasphemic, anti-Christian tone of the album. Analogy with Deicide might be evident, but Coldblood created something way more enjoyable with better themes. It's like a totally devastating, unstoppable wave, and by not turning monotonous, always can find a way to transmit it's hateful message effectively. Though the album is barely longer than 35 minutes, it's pretty capable to introduce a whole image, and despite its hard rawness, thanks to the diverse intensity it's not so difficult to go into as it might first seem like. The fast brutality leads the listener fast forward on the well hoped path of Christian apocalypse. An excellent record highly recommended for the fans of the genre!

Caçador de Almas - Vigário Maltido (2012)

 The one and only album of Caçador de Almas was a simple, but promising debut, that takes back to the very roots of the South American metal scene.  
   The band preferred basic themes, and their music was strongly thrash influenced. This mixed feature on the side of the evidently anti-Christian concept and the average sound quality strongly reminds to the '90s, and could be influenced by early Sepultura. Switches to death metal themes and intensity are common but short lasting, and soon they returning to basic thrashing, or ending up in slow downs. This feature serves with some musical diversity, but without the speed ups and the assistance of the growling vocal style that is quite similar to Ross Dolan's from Immolation, their music would be simply thrash metal. Even though their motivations seem clear, this level of style mixture is kind of moderate. Therefore it could be sensed, that it's a new waved old school production, and couldn't be seen as an accurate revival of the past tendencies. "Vigário Maltido" still can offer great old school nostalgia, and could be a potential favorite for the fans of the genre. 

Goatpenis - Depleted Ammunition (2011)

   By being formed in the early '90s, Goatpenis looks back to a longer past than how it might be expected, but it's another thing how much this counts, since the band have earned wider attention in the underground only in the early '00s. Their war metal style and character also took its well know form during this time, though it was clear even on their early, hardly enjoyable demo tapes, that they've been experimenting with something strongly blasphemous black metal related stuff, but the real breakthrough took like a decade for them.
   "Depleted Ammunition" was their third full-length album, when they turned the closest to how war metal sounds like.The previous two albums were also evidently the mix of black and death metal, and they've been pretty enjoyable already, but their sound quality still have left something to be desired. Intentionally or unintentionally it reflected more the (poor) sound quality of Norwegian black metal, and this took a lot from the noisy intensity that's usually expected from a war metal band. Things have been changing step by step, album by album, and on "Depleted Ammunition" on the side of the music, both the sound and the concept reached to the required extreme level. The band's musical progress was slow but spectacular and interesting. It's suspected that they intended to do something what war metal definitely isn't famous about: experimenting to not recreate exactly the same what they've been done before. Despite the strict borders of the style, probably Goatpenis has the most diverse discography among war metal bands. It's the listener's job to decide how advantageous it is in this genre. 

Cauterization - Males Infestus (2011)

   Cauterization's short, but stunning debut EP was also the sign of new tendencies of the South American scene. 

   They played blackened death by involving the modern, clean sound and accurate progression of the genre. The death metal influences are closely related to brutal death by the music's intensity, sound and the presence of a second backing vocal. Black metal is mainly represented in the drum style and partly in the themes. It seemed like the band tried to involve various ideas into this short time duration, probably to turn the main view diverse, and maybe even to experiment, though the EP sounds quite mature. This made "Males Infestus" quite technical, a bit chaotic, but still unified enough. On the side of brutal death and black metal influences there also simpler and more melodic themes to find, and sudden speed switches are also common. The various things they've tried would work well independently too, which could mean that their productiveness was maybe directly piled up and shranked to increase their intensity. Interestingly the band's guitarist main vocalist Miss Maysa Rodriguez had extraordinarily brutal deep growling performance, that could embarass most male growlers. 

Expurgo - Burial Ground (2010)

   The new sound of grindcore - even if it's about an old school oriented direction, just like in the case of Expurgo - just left behind the traditional practice that builds on the contrast of simple punk influenced basic themes and intense grinding.

   This proved to be an advantageous tendency, partly because the music became more unified, and at the other hand because the songs kept their heaviness. That might changed the basic concept of the genre a bit and also turned it closer to grind/death, that meanwhile increased the effectiveness. Not speed was the only factor anymore, some bands wrote better themes and stepped out from the state of musical Dadaism, while those who preferred to stay, tried to sound more exaggerated. Expurgo also had horror and  goregrind as mainly inspirational features, so their style selection was not a coincidence. Their music defititely recalls the early '90s (Terrorizer, Revolting, Napalm Death, early Carcass), but with great sound quality, and that makes it also the part of a new waved movement. So their music is nostalgic and counts modern the same time, compatible with the taste of old school fans, but also could be enjoyable for the lovers of modern sounding brutality. The basic punk influenced themes didn't disappear completely, but because of the heavy, noisy sound they're not serving as contrast anymore. They're more reminding to thrash by this speed and form. Deep growling lead vocal assisting to the intense brutality with second, screaming backing vocal. In total "Burial Ground" is a well made modern masterpiece of the genre. 

Poisonous - Perdition's Den (2010)

   Poisonous' one and only full-lenght album "Perdition's Den" was a quite heavy and obscure debut, that proved to be interesting for various reasons.
   First because their strongly Immolation influenced sound was kind of new to find in South America. Second: to play in that style and to be able to keep up the complex themes and to accord them together as it's demanded, definitely needs skilled musicians. And the experience comes with time, so even by not knowing much about the members background, it seems clear that they didn't start to play just a few years before the band was formed. That might lead back to the first point, because in this case musicians of the South American scene with notable past instead of playing something traditional, ended up with a massive, brutality oriented style. Their blasphemous lyrical concept also follows the Immolation influence, but of course in a simpler way of formulation. The album matches the expectations if the listener hungers for raw heaviness, as it's an ongoung feature during whole lenght. Only 2 short atmospheric intros are breaking the seemed like endless devastation. For this style less noise oriented, better sound quality is the most advantageous, and the band also knew that well, so on it's field "Perdition's Den" counts as a great, all-round well composed album. Strongly recommended for the fans of heavy blasphemous brutality.

Nervochaos - Battalions of Hate (2010)

    Nervochaos debuted as a strongly thrash influenced death metal band who (similar to older South American bands) gave a unique taste of mixed music influences. With time their style changed a bit and became more determined in the direction of death metal (probably the constant line-up changes were also responsible for that, since drummer and main man Eduardo Lane is the only permanent member of the band).

  Their music turned heavier and more complex during the years, mainly because of the increasing death metal influences in their themes, and therefore on the side of speed, further extreme features showed up. Still, the thrash metal roots and references didn't disappear, "Battalions of Hate" is definitely an old school spirited album, though it's modern sounding, and the influences of the more aggressive form of thrash (especially the German scene's influence), still could be discovered in their music. But the change that modernized their sound also took the band out from the old school sound of South American bands, though they didn't lose from their intesity. The old bands of this scene were able to mix styles in a way that not many others were able to, and that became the trademark of South American bands. The modernized sound might increased the heavy and brutal effects, but the same time gave the band a new quality, and stepped through the border of local traditional sound. "Battalions of Hate" was a high quality release, and it might be enjoyable for the fans of the old school and modern sound of thrashing death metal.

Khrophus - Presages (2009)

    Khorphus could look back to a long (but not too productive) musical past since the early '90s under a different name, and had their full lenght debut in 2003. 
   These timings had sensable influence on their music. Their basic influence could have been old school death metal, and for that  there are references to find in their music. But the technical ambitions they had are reflecting the main tendencies of the '00s, and all with it's disadvantageous features. Turnung technical in general isn't an easy way, since the pile of sudden theme and speed switches are difficult to frame together, and all instruments should be in balance. On "Presages" the rhythm section (drumms and bass) sounds the most intense and twisted, and includes pleny of unnecessary fripperies that ar not giving anything plus into the music. While the guitar themes trying to comply, the music looses from it's heaviness, and since the main intensity and the sound are definitely brutal death influenced, all that is just not getting together as much as it might be preferred for the expected effectiveness. The band definitely had potential, since they've proved that they're good in playing complex and fast, and it wouldn't take too much to make it work, but some missing feeling is left behind after listening to "Presages". However for technical death fans their music might be enjoyable. 

Itself - Make My Suffer Short (2009)

  It seems like it's not hard to find South American metal albums starting with some demonic erotic/orgy performance, even if the followings have not much to do with the whole thing, like in the case of Itself.
   The band's one and only album was a modern death metal release that sympathized with the technical ambitions of brutal death bands, but only in common, but short theme switches. The band didn't go too far, and switched back to old school tendencies before the songs would become too complex. The song composiotions and the way how they built on the effectiveness of theme contrasts are typically a modern thing that spreaded in the '00s. The influence of new waved bands is also noticeable, and therefore the main impression isn't so exaggerated like in the case of brutal death bands. "Make My Suffer Short" sounds like if the musicians had an experimental period to find some common ground. That happens if band members having different influences and imaginations. The lyrical concept is based on mental issues, so they also had an interesting topic. Their drummer was their frontman too, and therefore must admit that doing vocals while such intense drumming style is also extraordinary. The album is more or less unified, but not completely outbioled. Though all-in-one it was a stunning debut.

Grave Desecrator - Sign of Doom (2008)

   Since the mid '90s have been passed, it's quite rare to find references from new bands to the once so unique old school South American scene. New or less known names appearing from time to time in the form of bands who didn't have much attention in their times, but newer formations are another thing. Grave Desecrator is one of the rare exceptions, who have been formed with similar concept.
   The band was mainly influenced by Sarcófago and old Sepultura, and recalls the mixed style of the old scene authentically. The aggressive and compromise-less attitute of "Sign of Doom" matches not only with the tendencies of past times, but it's also not far from war metal. Similar to war metal bands and in analogy with the local traditions, they avoided atmospheric sound, and instead of dark aesthetics, their effectiveness lies in the raw sound and the heaviness of the themes. The main impression is still enough old school to not cross a certain border, and the thrash metal basics are quite evident. This is the source of their never ending intensity, while the ancient black/death metal features are responsible for the heaviness and the brutality. "Sign of Doom" is not only an excellent nostalgia album, but also had refreshing role in the recent extreme underground scene. 

Scatha - Keep Thrashing! (2007)

   Scatha showed up with a very promising demo, but unfortunately they have gone after. It's sad, because they had quite big chance to break out even from the depths of underground.
   Their music referred back to the '80s thrash metal, but without copying the features of any scenes or exact bands. It was like a new fresh swing of a young band who tried themselves in an old school style that was long forgotten. They've wrote pretty good themes, and their song structures didn't even suspect that all was made by a totally amateur band, though the members were so young that time. All songs were composed good and the vocals were quite aggressive to be effective too (reminds to the growling style of Sabina Classen from Holy Moses). The fact that Scatha was a band with full female lineup would have been also enough to spark attention, especially in the not so feminine genre of thrash metal. From the late '00s more females appeared in the main metal scene, and nowadays it's not even a big deal anymore, except if the whole thing is not slipping into a melodic-emotional collapse. The band has returned after a decade with a different lineup, but in that form (and after such a  long break) they couldn't reach their early level.

Violator - Chemical Assault (2006)

   Thrash metal was forced into background and had only some tertiary role in the main scene since the early '90s. Except the oldies, several promising, but short lived new bands and plenty of fun made nostalgia projects, nearly decades have been passed without any new really charismatic thrash metal band.
   The appearence of Violator brought back the long lost and awaited intensiveness into the genre. The most aggressive and intense old school aspect of the style had a modern reinterpretation in their music - it's thrash metal at it's best quality, just the way how it used to sound. There's not a calm moment to find on their debut, and maybe it's not an exaggeration to say that nothing similar was released from a new band since the '80s. Their impressive swing could be compared to Sadus, their heaviness to Slayer, their rudeness to Sodom. It's also interesting that if cultic scenes growing out themselves and disappear or just remaining in some vegetative state (like the Bay Area scene or the once so influental German thrash scene), the newbies may appear at various other locations, but South America always seemed to be as a stabile outpost of old school metal. So it's no wonder that Violator wasn't the first and not even the last band from there with evidently traditional ambitions. "Chemical Assault" partly recalls the feeling of the '80s, but also proves that thrash metal still could be very effective and harsh sounding compared to the changes both into softer and more extreme directions that meanwhile happened in the main scene. An excellent album for the most prejudiced fans of the genre!

Anarkhon - Obesidade Mórbida (2006)

   Anarkhon was formed in 1999 and after a few demos they debuted in 2006 with "Obesidade Mórbida". Such as at other newer South American bands, they stayed between the borders of an exact style - at brutal death metal in this case.
   In their early period they preferred Portuguese, but later they wrote their lyrics in English. Anyway in this this genre it's completely secondary, since gore and splatter is the main lyrical concept, and deep growling vocal style doesn't support decent spelling. Their music reminds mainly to early Cannibal Corpse, especially to the insanely exaggerated style of the albums "Butchered at Birth" and "Tomb of the Mutilated". By this direction a very raw and insane outcome should be expected, and the album cannot dissapoint those who are hoping to reach the darkest depths of musickness by listening. Similarly to old Cannibal Corpse, catchy melodic themes repeditively assisting to the intense speed, heavy sound and deep grows. That results the same sick impression, and also could make the listener smile, especially at the screaming parts that are introducing how a mad Donald Duck scream should sound like. It's exactly the thing that made this style interesting: it could be enjoyable even for those who can't take it seriously, because this level of extremism could sound funny too. But except that Anarkhon did a really good job and their high quality debut refers to one of the biggest names of '90s death metal.

Pentacrostic - The Pain Tears (1992)

   "The Pain Tears" by Pentacrostic is a less known, but cultic masterpiece, straight from the depths of the infamous Brazilian underground scene.
    Unlike most extreme bands, not the intensity was their first priority, but the heaviness of their music. While plenty of others tried themselves in this direction already in the main scene, similar ambitions were new in South America that time. But Pentacrostic still completely fits into the local scene, cause their music includes features of more styles the same time, such as most South American bands. The most interesting thing is maybe to hear with how simple things they created their own genuine style. Dark atmosphere and the cawing vocal style giving an impression that could remind to black metal, but the main feeling is far heavier by the noisy sound, the excellent bass lines that could be well heard, and the slow/mid speed that's occasionly interrupted by intense hammering. This ominous and endlessly dark impression is truelly extraordinary. The synchronizing of diverse effects, like speed changes, different style features, sound and atmosphere made "The Pain Tears" an exciting album that certainly pulls down the listener into the depths of the Netherworld.

Expulser - The Unholy One (1992)

   Expulser followed the good old blasphemous and completely compromise-less, exaggerated path of Brazilian extreme music, strongly influenced by Sarcófago.
   Similarly to that scene, their music was also on the borderlines of genres, but in their case the fusion of those styles wasn't so homogene to create something specific. The influences of death and thrash metal are more insulated, but the references to Sarcófago are in exact majority by the heavily insane feeling that comes with the noisy hammering parts. Thrashing moments are more like occasional or filling completely those few songs which were written to sound less animalistic. The band probably tried to exceed the intensity and brutality of their most influental favorite band. In heaviness it was successful, but in insanity and themes it wasn't. Still "The Unholy One" is an excellent and entertaining album for the lovers of musickness, and it's between the most brutal albums of the South American scene from those times.

Sarcófago - Rotting (1989)

   After Sepultura, probably Sarcófago had the strongest influence on the South American metal scene. But while Sepultura played later more acceptable music for the ears of the generic metal fans and became famous, Sarcófago kept it's exaggerated style and stayed underground.
   They always tried to show something new on their albums, a different aspect of extremity, by balancing on the border of thrash, black and death metal. The rate of these features was mostly changing, as it's possible to say that now about a past time period, when the differences between these styles were not really distinguished yet. Their music had maybe the darkest possible tone with the maximum level of insanity on the "Rotting" EP. "I.N.R.I." was already a big hit in their quest to create the most aggressive music ever, but they probably reached their goal by "Rotting". The intensiveness of this record was remarkable and formed the coldest and most cruel musical atmosphere, where it's folly to look for catchy melodies to guide. Chaos and insanity awaits here to cast down the listener into the darkest depths.

Chakal - Abominable Anno Domini (1987)

   Chakal also took a piece in forming of the South American scene. They were on the side of Sepultura too at it's place of birth, and not surprisingly their music was also on the borderline of related genres.
   Before they became some sort of weird speed/thrash band, they had a quite harsh debut with "Abominable Anno Domini". It was already a pioneer of death metal too, by including wilder and more exaggerated sound, horror inspired lyrics, and pretty insane vocal style. Their themes were raw all the time, and always suspected some sort of experimenting ambitions of a young band, especially on this first album, but in truth it was simply their own style. This weird style was a creative and genuine approach, and this fits to insanity, which was their returning lyrical topic. The vocals increasing this rampagous sickness, by narrating even to anti-religious and societal critics. The raw brutality of this album had a big influence on the local scene, and made Chakal it's well known, genre-defining and notorious band.

Sepultura - Morbid Visions (1986)

   The South American scene became so special and genuine not only because of it's more or less isolated situation things were going there a bit differently. But also because it was rise up without any reasonable wider support from an environment of deep poverty and corruption.
   Sepultura was the first in the line of those bands who developed that exciting mix of extreme music in that area, and definitely the first South American metal band who gained international success. As their main musical influences we could mention Venom, Slayer and Celtic Frost, and it's also true about the development of the mixed style of this scene. It's was a different and independent way from what happened in the USA or in Europe. Such as Celtic Frost was on some borderline, they also settled there. Early Sepultura had both the features of thrash and death metal as we hear now, but that time the second genre didn't really exist yet. "Morbid Visions" was an album of a young and eager band who were excited to do something brutal and remarkable, and even the line of accidents enhanced their fresh intensity. Like their guitars were not even toned during the album recordings. They didn't even speak English that time, only tried to translate their lyrics by a dictionary. However, that powerful start resulted the forming of a new scene, and gave a new classic to extreme metal.