Portal de Plutonium

Portal De Plutonium blew me away at first listen, especially relative to the band's previous effort, a good but standard EP. This full length completely blows expectations out of the water, with a much more focused execution, broadening dynamics and a fixation on the building of atmosphere, which is evident right from the eerie intro. When the album itself stars, we're met with a clear improvement in songwriting, with exceptional riffs and a more energetic output while still retaining the chaos. The vocals are drenched in reverb, giving the record a very cavernous sound that fits with the purely venomous guitar tone.

The intensity is constantly present on this album, more so on relentless tracks like In Praetorium de Ossa. While I will admit that Carnicais is still using the same style of death metal, showing that they are still staying close to their roots, the major improvements of almost every aspect is exemplified with technical riffs, more varied drum patterns and slower sections that give way to their faster counterparts. All of these aspects establish a sense of maturity in the music, and a sense that the members are becoming more advanced in their musical capabilities. Despite this, I still think that the lead guitars could be improved slightly. The solos are very tight, but I feel like some of the melodies feel forced and far too one-dimensional.

Fundamentally, this is a death metal record with a lot of very ambitious qualities that transcend the standards of the genre. There is an extremely fluent nuance to Portal de Plutonium that represents a level of intricacy that there needs to be more of in extreme metal. If Carnicais manage to build on this new sound, they may become a world-renowned act in the future. As for this album, it is outstanding, with songs like Krakon and Vozes Insanas giving the band a very controlled, but turbulent sound.