The Damned - Album Review, June 30th release | Albums

Reader Rating6 Votes

Maldito is one of the most recent Brazilian metal bands. Founded in 2017 in Paraná, the band encompasses all the characteristics that metal fans appreciate: stimulating riffs, lyrics that deal with the nature of human beings, existential conflicts, exposure of hypocrisy, hatred, and, of course, a heavy sound.

The band's aesthetic was built on diverse sound references and varied literary inspirations, aiming for a forceful and anarchic identity. With sarcasm, irony and an "urban chronicle" atmosphere, the band presents a Tupiniquim version of heavy rock. A year after its formation, O Maldito released the single and video Nêmesis and on June 30 the band promises a lot of heavy music with the release of its first self-titled album, which was produced, recorded and mastered at MGC Estúdio in Curitiba.

The band is currently made up of the following members:

Rubão (vocals/bass);
Jefferson (guitar);
Toni (guitar);
Koreia (drums).

The album, the result of years of songwriting, features 10 tracks and was developed in the studio, where the band works on following a riff, as can be seen in the song introductions, and on an initial concept. The entire musical description considers the construction of lyrics, themes and narrative elements, culminating in a repertoire that explores themes of existentialism, social and political criticism, nihilism, among others. At the end of February, the band released their first single from the album, entitled Sangria, which is already on all digital platforms, and is certainly one of the introductory tracks for listening to the denser sound of the band from Paraná.

Throughout the song, we immediately pay attention to the lyrics because they evoke a powerful image about life and the future. The respective structure of the chorus reinforces a tone of despair and, above all, portrays the human condition and disillusionment. A few months later, the band released the music video Versos Íntimos, which is inspired by one of the Brazilian poet's most popular sonnets, Augustus of the Angels. The poem is known for its pessimism and its criticism of the exploitation of human duality.

Compared to its predecessor, the subject matter is similarly dark and deals with themes of the human condition. It's (almost) impossible not to pay attention to the title of some tracks, such as ?Inês é Morta!? and ?Navalha na Carne? The former is a well-known expression in Portuguese history, which basically portrays the tragic episode of love between Pedro I of Portugal and Inês de Castro. Their relationship was not well regarded by the Portuguese court, especially by Pedro's father, King Afonso IV. On his orders, Inês was murdered in 1355.

The second is a play written by Plínio Marcos at the end of the 1960s and has become a classic work of Brazilian theater. The play presents themes related to violence, social marginalization and survival. Both songs present a more historical language, but the musical presence remains, especially with the intros, vocals and riffs.

All the songs on the album O Maldito, besides being written in Portuguese, have a very well-structured musical composition, the vocals are highly powerful, almost forcing the listener to sing along (I deduce that this is Rubão's goal), the riffs are complex, and with the release of the first album, the band promises to offer a lot of energy and dancing during the shows.