Rio de Janeiro's Gods & Punks formed in 2013 and are comprised of brothers Alexandre and Pedro Canhetti – Vocals and Bass respectively, as well as Rodrigo B – Guitars and Gabriel S on Drums. Named after a Monster Magnet track (from the Mastermind album) the band have a mountain of releases to their name which include 2016's The Sounds of Earth debut EP, 2017's debut full-length Into the Dunes of Doom, 2018's Enter the Ceremony of Damnation, And the Celestial Ascension from 2019, and The Sounds of the Universe from 2021, the latter being the last part in the “Voyage Series”. These are just the tip of the iceberg, I'd be here till sundown if I were to try and recount the entirety of their catalogue.
Death thematically takes a different approach to previous output, focusing here on human, organic concerns such as Vocalist Alexandre’s 2021 near death experience, (Bruno Kros' artwork also reflects this with its grim reaper style imagery). I'm therefore looking forward to what promises to be a cathartic listen.
'Slowburner' builds slowly with Space-Rock style atmospherics before finally kicking in around the forty second mark and there are touches of Fuzz present which remind one of Italians Black Rainbow. The track also has an old-school NWOBHM energy recalling Witchfinder General, especially frontman Zeeb Parkes' Ozzy inflections. The main riff is seriously tasty and sets you up perfectly for the album to come, a stunning opener. 'Loss of Reality' takes you even further down the Traditional Metal route which despite not being the biggest fan of that genre, I could nonetheless appreciate what Gods & Punks were going for here. So if Grand Magus, US veterans Cirith Ungol and Iron Maiden float your boat, then pop on a life jacket and get on board! 'The Night of a Thousand Days' at five minutes two seconds is the shortest track on the album (unbelievably) and steeped in crushingly Sludgy Doom compared to its more uptempo predecessor. Saint Vitus are one band that spring to mind and as such this could be a bonus cut from Born Too Late, its that good. The band even offer you a little surprise towards the end with some pleasant Folky Acoustic noodling.
'Decerebration' according to Wikipedia refers to “the elimination of cerebral brain function in an animal by removing the cerebrum”. Hardly pleasant sounding, but an obvious nod to Alexandre's aforementioned experience three years ago. Musically its a slower, moodier piece in the vein of classic Sabbath before picking up the pace in the latter half with Stoner grooves that seemingly pay homage to Nebula, Fu Manchu and their like. Just superb. 'The Space Between Spaces' as implied by the title takes on a significantly Psychedelic hue but this isn't some wanky hippy journey into nothingness. Mellow passages bookend the band's trademark Trad and Doom Metal assault, astonishing playing and songwriting on display here. 'Archimedes’ Screw' starts off as a tense mid-pace Stoner Rock thumper before expanding its musical ambition with tasteful Prog Rock as well as flourishes of Psych ala Mondo Drag and Sacri Monti. Finally 'Black Box', the album's longest track at nearly seven minutes is admittedly a little baffling on first listen. Jazzy Steely Dan interludes, Traffic-esque soulful Blues-Rock and huge uplifting choruses all help bring the album to a triumphant and hopeful conclusion.
Considering the trauma the band went through, that Death exists is a testament to their determination and inner resourcefulness. As such this can be considered one hell of a comeback and a very worthy addition to any record collection.
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