Matéria Negra

Once you can get past the silly screaming, gurgling and outright contrived “evil” sounds that filter in and out of this record, Materia Negra from Portugal’s Medo provides a decent satanic soundtrack…again, once past the very transparent obligatory devices.

This small piece of black metal tries to vocally capture the haunting and controversial Atilla Cshiar performance from Mayhem’s classic album, but it falls a bit short. That doesn’t negate the music’s worth; it does, however, smell of something not quite pure, which is par for the course these days in any black metal undertaking. When I first heard some of the music here I was reminded a little bit of Italian legends Schizo and their masterpiece Main Frame Collapse, but that comparison quickly dissipates when I come to realize the band seems more bent on providing a total showpiece instead of a resonating album at times. The music here is overly competent, even somewhat fresh in select spots, but eventually the tone gives way to ridiculous B-horror movie sounds and trite attempts at malevolence that fall well short.

“Trabalho De Magia Negra (Segundo S. Cipriano)” is a terrific track that could well blur the lines between a band like The Vision Bleak and, say, a less astute Schizo. Even the predictable spoken ‘sermon’ parts are entertaining amidst some seriously dark music, but then some silly rhetorical instrument (in this case distorted, backwards-sounding verbiage) comes in and upsets the apple cart. I understand the need to be different and illuminating in current black metal; I yell about it louder than most, but this isn’t the way to get it done. Trading in your musical vision for trickery and smoke and mirrors doesn’t bode well for the band, period. These guys have some serious talent and vision on the lower end of the blackened spectrum, and they shouldn’t focus so much on embellishing the music to garner momentary favor or shock value. It criminally overshadows the music before it even has a chance to sink or swim.

Some of the more primitive styles are represented here, though there is no Norwegian speed; in fact, I hear Morbid in “Mistério Da Nau Da Morte”, right down to a spot-on Pelle Ohlin vocalization in the breathy, almost sneering delivery. It’s quite good all around. This album goes to prove that you don’t really need a million-miles-an-hour of speed to get your sadistic point across; I only wish the band didn’t need to rely on mundane tricks to blacken the process when the music itself can provide a fine movement in and for itself.

For the music I give this some decent points, but the smaller vision keeps it just above the mid-level for me. We have here a solid band that won’t break your back bowing to them in total reverence, but does manage to set the gears accordingly, save for the use of unnecessary musical tools that break the wheel rather than fix it. I’d say grab it and try to block out the insipidity and focus on the music. It’s a little tough, but it can be done and the music is worth the effort. However, if it continues on this path the band will most likely fall the wayside into total and complete parody.

(Originally written for www.MetalPsalter.com)