By:
Ernesto Aguilar
Album Type: Full length
Date Released: 05/01/ 2018
Label: Season Of Mist
Think a heavier Massive Attack, a dash of post-rock, a helping of menace and a
blend of orchestration that makes it really an interesting listen. This is exceptional stuff for a band you may
not hear lots about, but they’re definitely worth your time.
"Sangue Cassia"
CD//DD//LP track listing
1.
Cosmos Controle
2.
Lotus
3.
Petalas
4.
Vento Sul
5.
Abismo
6.
Nuvem
7.
Gardenia
8.
Cravo Carne
The Review:
Most
people have heard of Cirque De Soleil, the French-Canadian aerial troupe that
has evolved from a hipster, no-animal circus into an entertainment powerhouse
in Las Vegas casinos, Beatles and Michael Jackson-themed acrobatic arena tours and worldwide
television. Even if you have never attended, you have probably heard of
Cirque's elaborate stunts and interpretative dance. It caters to the culturally
curious, while staying relatively accessible to the suburbs. Its performances
are punctuated by a rich score, one that melds influences from world music,
contemporary rock and pop and live instrumentation in a fashion aimed at
pulling together its often quirky tales. If you are familiar with Cirque's
soundtrack, hearing Sinistro is probably
one of the few times you'll be brought back to that mental space of being
inside one of the act's big tops.
Such
a comparison is a compliment and not a put down. Cirque has a fine attention to
detail and effortlessly sets up a scene in a way most musicians struggle with. "Sangue Cassia" is an intelligent
and infinitely listenable album. However, the comparison may also serve as fair
warning to you, generous listener. If you read the standard descriptions of Sinistro as doom or a rock/metal derivative, you will soon
learn the five-piece is not. It shares an atmospheric or tonal quality of doom,
possibly – most strongly on cuts like "Cosmos
Controle" and "Cravo
Carne" – yet it's not that really. It is instead a dash of post-rock,
a helping of menace and a blend of orchestration that makes it really an interesting
listen. Think a heavier Massive Attack. You may
not like it if Morbid Angel or Tombs are
your jams, though.
The
Portuguese band has been around a minute – 2012 to be exact – but it seemed to
take off in 2013, when it added vocalist Patricia Andrade. Andrade brings to Sinistro a particular beauty to the double-guitar stylings
of Rick Chain and Ricardo Matias. You will soon discover her range is
formidable; songs like "Lotus"
and "Vento Sul" are an
outstanding showcase for what Andrade does best, using her strong voice to draw
the emotion out of Sinistro's heady blend
of an experience, creatively supported by Paulo Lafaia on drums and Fernando
Matias on bass and synths.
"Sangue
Cassia" is at its greatest when his forceful guitars
show out on tracks such as "Petalas"
or "Abismo." Andrade is
commanding with her singing (it's clean, by the way), while the bass and drums
foment the energy. A post-rock song like "Nuvem"
matches Andrade's ethereal vocals with droning rhythm and guitars. The noise
influence on "Gardenia"
has underlying hints of paradoxical subtlety. Overall, across these divergent
selections, is an aesthetic that has a distinctly symphonic flair. It's not the
Carach Angren kind of symphonic, but it has a 'big' feel.
Exceptional stuff for a band you may not hear lots about, and worth your time.
"Sangue
Cassia" is available here
