No Limite da Força

Anthares were one of the earliest signups from the Brazilian metal roster, starting their career at about the same time as the other two pioneers from there, Sepultura and Overdose. Their debut demo was a highly inspired, but fairly raw primal slab of early Germanic speed/thrash heavily marred by the sloppy production qualities.

With all the tracks from said demo present on the album reviewed here, there were no surprises regarding the musical path chosen as the delivery was again shaped after the German models (early Deathrow, Toxic Shock, Destruction), hyper-active speed/thrash to the bone supervised by unholy, over-the top shouts quite reminiscent of the ones of Tony Portaro (Whiplash). There can’t be any better opener to this moshing roller-coaster than the very appropriately-titled "Furia" which will also bring memories of Whiplash’s debut, the fiesta raising the German flag sky-high on the title-track with very few genuine respites (the stomping mid-paced walkabouts on "Paranoia Final") served later. It’s not only one-dimensional wayward bash, like the fine melodic tunes at the start of "Vinganca" show well, that’s at play here but the band are intent on generating as much intensity as possible on this early showing although more serious, more ambitiously executed compositions ("Chacina", "Prisioneiros do Sistema") arrive later where the shadow of Paradox can also be felt on the more contrived arrangements.

The guys had chosen a less brutal, more proficient path compared to their colleagues Sarcofago, Vulcano and Holocausto, and theirs is an approach again not totally devoid of musical proficiency; only that their overt affiliation to the bashing side of the genre failed to give a fulsome expression to those lofty elaborations. Another trait that differed them from the rest of the Brazilian pack was their decision to sing in their mother tongue, a stance they held till the “Retaliation” demo in 1995 which was also their last try to stay afloat during those uncertain, plain hostile for classic metal times.

The guys rose to the occasion in the new millennium, in 2004 to be precise, but the self-titled demo that appeared shortly afterwards only contained old, slightly remastered, tracks. It was whole ten years later when the sophomore saw the light of day, the guys’ desire to sing in Portuguese bigger than ever alongside their passion for the good old speed/thrash, a really strong, proficiently performed showing that also introduced a less shouty gruffer vocalist to the fore, the name Diego Nogueira who is also the bass player of their compatriots, the blasting… sorry, brutal thrashers Blasthrash. Paranoia has received its finale, it seems to me; a time for the band to finally find well deserved recognition outside the large Sao Paolo confines.