Martiris carnívors: Himnes per a un nou apocalipsi

Looking very much like the bastard offspring of Venom, Motörhead, and the black metal horde they secretly are, Els Focs Negres blasted us with Portuguese metal and Catalan lyrics on their 2020 debut album. Though notionally aligned with black speed metal, this quintet come across very different in feel, and “Martiris Carnívors” takes that a step further with fewer outright fast tracks and an even looser vibe to the already standout vocals. Essentially now playing a super-dirty form of classic metal, leads make direct reference to Iron Maiden on more than a few occasions, rhythms generally stay within the NWOBHM ballpark, and only the slavering intensity of the uncanny proto-black metal singing really makes one wonder whether anything more extreme will emerge. In a sense, it’s like watching Mercyful Fate’s trajectory after their debut EP, just a little less theatrical.

Unquestionably the pivotal track on this 48 minute effort, the closing ‘Carnívors’ lasts 14 minutes by itself and sees the brewing storm unleashed at last - quite literally too. Atmosphere, excess, the howling of winds and voices all reside in this final exorcism (barring a hidden track) and only here can the band’s ambitions really be glimpsed. The rest of the album contains 6 solid tracks of simpler means and milder flavours, though a feast of guitar work can be detected beneath the noisy clatter of the production, with many a tasty lead to sample on ‘Purgatory’ or ‘Nacio Metal’. Els Focs Negres sound like a rowdy mob coming to frighten the elderly and exhilarate the young, though their intentions really aren’t so bad after all.


Originally written for Metalegion #14 - www.metalegion.com