Enigmática Perpétua Sinfonia

Formed in 2006, this horde from Santa Catarina state in southern Brazil really took flight in 2017, the current line-up coming together in that year and issuing first album "Praeludium Tenebras". Follow-up album "Enigmatica Perpetua Sinfonia" came out in 2020, an indication that Ar da Desgraca really mean business now, all members of the band committed to AdD's brand of no-nonsense aggressive melodic BM that may be inspired by 1990s-era second-wave Scandinavian acts. AdD's style is sharp and clear (with enough noisy fuzz edge for the raw texture), minimal and efficient - it reminds me of Finnish BM act Vitsaus when I first heard that band's work back in 2008 (wow, so long ago) - and emphasises riffing, distinct melodies and energetic aggression in the seven self-contained songs on "Enigmatica ...". The singing might be in Portuguese but otherwise much of AdD's music is hard to distinguish from the band's northern European inspirations.

All songs can actually stand on their own as potential singles material with strong, even pop-catchy folk-like melodies and swanky rhythms, and if the band were ambitious enough, this album would easily find a home with a major metal label specialising in black, death and other underground metal like Profound Lore or Season of Mist. On some songs like "Ruína e Decadência", the band almost slips into atmospheric post-BM territory with extended solo lead guitar detours; with other tracks like "Êxtase Delirante", the musicians concentrate on blast-beat pounding aggression, though even here there is a distinct melody and a definite melancholy coming out of the music.

The only issue I have with this album is that as singing is important here, the vocals are very raspy thin and are almost drowned out by the music which isn't especially dense or heavy. For the vocals to express anger or anguish or any other emotion, they'll need to come forward much more in the mix.

At this early stage in the band's career, "Enigmatica ..." does well to establish the band's core identity as a solid melodic BM act in the style of 1990s second-wave BM. Future albums will need a more distinct style of music that differentiates the band from other BM projects similarly inspired by that same generation. The instrumental introductory track suggests that music based around acoustic folk guitar as a major instrument may help AdD establish a more original and individual identity on future recordings.