Patria are a Brazilian Black Metal formation, forged in 2008 by two very experienced musicians: multi-instrumentalist Marcelo ‘Mantus’ Vasco, known from e.g. Mysteriis, Darkest Hate Warfront, Ancientblood, Vinterthron, Lux Ferre and tens of other great acts, and vocalist Triumphsword of Hatred Sculpted Souls / Land Of Fog / Thorns Of Evil / Hellscourge / Warmachine / …-fame. They recorded a handful of albums in the past, showing that Brazil can sound as cold and Nordic as Scandinavia, and with this newest epos they simply continue that frozen path.
Individualism was recorded with Carlos Barbosa at Mantra Studios and P2R Studios, and mastered in Norway by Borknagar’s Øystein G. Brun (here we have a first link to that Scandinavian approach) at Silver Soundscapes. The album has duration of forty three minutes and it comes with a primitive and rough, yet perfectly suitable sound. Individualism opens with a very short intro that reminds me of a seventies / eighties Horror movie soundtrack, and despite the very short duration, it surely gives a certain implication of what might come. And indeed, what comes is a mostly grim and Nordic-oriented form of Underground-based Black Metal à la Norway and Sweden. If I did not know this was a new Patria-record, I would have guessed it came from Scandinavia (more specific, as mentioned before: Sweden or Norway). And since I am truly addicted to this sound, this could be a satisfying experience. For that, however, the quality of song writing and performance need to be above average as well. And guess what: this material is way above the mediocre! Believe if I say that Patria bring stuff that many Scandinavian bands do not succeed to maintain. These hymns have everything this kind of material needs: majestic structures, variation (speed and melody, and it does!), a grim atmosphere, some own-faced moments (once again: believe me, for Patria do add some very own, specific elements), a great sound (raw and unpolished, yet über-decent), and so on, and so on… This is lo-fi (and at the same time hi-fi; respectively referring to the trendy side of the game, and the final execution at the other hand) excellence based on the magisterial Second Wave with not one single detail that disappoints.
…this band defines my passion for this kind of music…