Scourge from Brazil (there used to be another Brazilian Death Metal act at the end of the former century) were formed in 2008 as some kind of Sarcófago-tribute project, yet with the aim to play own material instead of playing covers only. Their debut …On The Sin, Death, Lust And Hate… proved that they were able to pay honour to these Brazilian Cult-masters (and FYI: it was produced by Sarcófago’s Gerald ‘Incubus’ Minelli). That debut was, by the way, released via one of Brazil’s most important labels, Cogumelo, and via the very same label Scourge released their second full length, Hate Metal (thirty eight minutes of length), at the end of 2013. Now American label Greyhaze will release it again in order to reach the worldwide audience.
Hate Metal opens with the intro Sentenced To Die, which isn’t but a fake and pitiful cliché: sounds of rain and some background growls with the Funeral March-theme (originally composed by Chopin; more specific: Marche Funèbre, Sonata n°2, Opus 35; Hell yeah, I am into the most oppressive forms of Classical Music too…). A disappointing introduction to Hate Metal it is…
But with the Bread That God Crushed, Scourge make me happy again. One reason is the glorious participation of Sarcófago’s Wagner ‘Antichrist’ Lamounier, who seemed not to have done anything ‘musical’ anymore since the album Crust (2000). The song is a nice example of what the South American Old School scene stood for. It combines unpolished rawness with traditional elements and proto-technical details (‘proto-technical’, WTF???), and turns it into a nice piece of morbid Death Metal. But with the next song, Angels Of Wrath, I really start smiling! Despite its primitivism, this blackened track sounds timeless. Nice are the interactions in between the speed (with faster and slow passages), in between the structures (sometimes modestly technical, then again straight-forward with a no-nonsense attitude), and in between the melodies (tremolo leads interfere with rougher pickings). And as from here, Hate Metal indeed brings nothing but glory. Faster pieces go well with decelerating parts, catchy melodies breathe the purity of the former century’s excellence, and it counts for every single composition on this album. I won’t exaggerate for this release is not the best thing ever done in South America. But for sure it is satisfying to experience an album with such conviction. Let’s be grateful for that… And the stupid lyrical approach, well, let’s consider it a necessity that does well with this Old School Metal… For that I do forgive them…