By Luis Fernando Ribeiro and Leandro Abrantes
Generally, when we talk about something that reminds us of our origins, we proudly express our pride in our land. It's always been that way when I write about any album recorded in Brazil. But this time, what came to me was an album from a band from the city where I spent part of my adolescence and where my musical training began. Needless to say, it was incredibly difficult to remain neutral while listening to and writing about the first studio album by the Santa Catarina band Ignited in an impartial and fair way, so I sought the support of a great friend who grew up in the same region where the band was formed and had his own bands there around the year 2000. Leandro Abrantes (ex- Extricnina ) accompanied me on this journey and offered some very insightful and well-placed comments about this promising album from the national metal scene.
Formed in mid-2017 in the city of Balneário Camboriú, Ignited emerged from the collaboration of Dalton Castro (Guitar) and Maurício Velasco (Drums) and had its lineup consolidated with the addition of Denis Lima (Vocals) and Sama Benedet (Bass). With this team, the band entered the studio to record their debut album . For their debut album, the band had the production, mixing and mastering done by Thiago Bianchi, former vocalist of Shaman , and Gustavo Sazes , who has worked with names like Manowar, Arch Enemy and Morbid Angel , on the album artwork.
Released in 2019, Steelbound sounds heavy and aggressive, but also melodic and very tasteful. For those familiar with the sound of the various branches of heavy metal, it will not be contradictory to say that the band's sound is part of a "new wave of old-school heavy metal," blending the characteristics that made the style what it is today and adding some more modern and pretentious elements than the more traditional sound of yesteryear.
It's almost impossible for a band these days to sound free from the influences and comparisons to the masters who shaped the course of heavy music. Therefore, on this album we feel that the band drew from varied sources, enriching their repertoire, especially from Judas Priest, King Diamond, Shaman, Savatage , and Iced Earth. What they did very well, especially from the middle of the album onwards, is to base their sound on these great names without letting it conflict with the band's identity.
The album opens with “Ignition,” chosen as the first single (earning it a single and a music video), showcasing a highly competent band. It's a typical opening track, vibrant and heavy from beginning to end, with a catchy chorus and a level of composition and production comparable to established bands using a similar formula. All the basic ingredients for good heavy metal music are there. Dalton's heavy, galloping riffs, Sama and Maurício's vigorous and precise rhythm section, and Denis's vocals, which, despite starting very high, reaching notes à la Andre Matos or Rob Halford , gain personality throughout the album and sound absolutely interesting, especially when naturally moving from one extreme to the other of his vocal range. The chorus is the highlight of the song, where all the musicians come together to demonstrate the band's potential and competence. Despite carrying a lot of information for a single song, it serves as a good introduction to what can be heard on Steelbound .
“Pain” is more rhythmic and full-bodied, gradually revealing the band's identity, which becomes quite clear by the end of the album (it's worth noting that the comparisons made here serve only as a gauge to introduce a new band amidst a scene of numerous renowned bands). Here, Denis's interpretation, accompanied by Megadeth-esque (see “Take No Prisoners”), makes all the difference, even making it seem like it's sung by two people, one in response to the other, such is the vocal diversity presented. The solos are presented without the urgency to prove themselves as in the previous album and sound more natural and well-crafted.
The title track of the album has a similar feel to the previous one, transitioning between more measured and faster moments with absolute naturalness. The highlight is the highly varied drumming by Maurício Velasco, which starts off full of effects and develops with many fills and excellent work on the double bass pedals. Dalton's guitar work also begins to show a strong personality, with an excellent solo full of feeling.
This first part of the album – despite its undeniable quality – begins to show, after listening to the following tracks, one of the few things that bothered me about Steelbound : the track order. Although it follows a very similar compositional line in the subsequent songs, from the fourth song onwards we have a completely renewed band, giving the impression that the first three tracks were composed at one point in the band's trajectory and the others came much later, with much more maturity, identity and technical excellence. This impression is confirmed in the first few seconds of the grandiose "Living in the Dark", with its full-bodied and diabolical, almost epic riffs (something that Abbath did masterfully in Between Two Worlds , from his solo project I), with an almost spoken and highly inspired interpretation (almost reaching Andre Matos in the chorus), with intricate and precise drumming and with special emphasis on the dense and growling bass of Sama Benedet, who until then had shown himself to be competent but timid because of his volume in the recording.
“Call Me To Run” quickly becomes – by mutual agreement – a favorite of those who write this. The band seems more at ease, sounding spontaneous and with their own unique style. Everything here sounds like Ignited. The riffs and rhythm section invite headbanging (if you can listen to this song without air guitar, bass, or drums, you're in the wrong genre) and the vocals are more dynamic and competent than ever. The way the bass and drums interact and how the guitar gives space during the chorus allows Denis to tell the story instead of just interpreting the lyrics. Finally, the atmosphere created to prepare the solo sounds like the band giving back to the guitar the space it gave to the rest of the band in the remainder of the song, generating an expectation that was met in a solo that displays class and technique without overwhelming the listener with information, captivating them and delivering the song back to a new chorus that comes even louder, making the song gain more and more body and intensity. In short, a song where everything is perfectly balanced, without any rush, and where the whole team plays for the collective. "Call Me To Run" is the song that best represents the band's sound and the creative and collective ability of the composers.
“Times” is the inevitable ballad of the album, but it doesn't sound like something that's just there to fill space. With one foot in Iced Earth and the other in Circle II Circle and their beautiful ballads, the band presents a cohesive and beautiful song, with a good transition from the lighter, more melodic part to the heavier, denser part, and with a level of composition worthy of a renowned band. The song ends in a fade-out, giving the track a beautiful sense of infinity.
Amidst so many good songs, "Ground Pounding" ends up going somewhat unnoticed, sounding somewhat like what Metallica did on their most recent album. Some riffs flirt with a more modern and rhythmic thrash, but overall the track is quite traditional heavy metal with some interesting moments but nothing particularly noteworthy.
“Shining Void” begins with an incredible atmosphere à la Dream Theater and a beautiful performance by Denis Lima, reminiscent of Shaman’s vibe during Andre Matos’s time, but still with a lot of personality. The bridge to the chorus and the chorus itself feature the vocalist’s best performances on the entire album and lyrics of subtle and powerful poetic beauty. The solo, just like in “Call Me To Run,” goes through a slow and intelligent construction, sounding harmonious, lush, and dark. At times it almost becomes a ballad, but overall it’s a very heavy song with a dense and gloomy atmosphere, which makes the listener jump when “Roaring Gears” literally roars in (pardon the pun). Growling and aggressive, it easily becomes the heaviest track on the album and promptly one of the best. Here, Sama's bass shows its full power, forming a sonic wall with the intricate drums full of tempo changes, sharing space with the highly refined riffs and allowing the vocals to soar without sounding tiring at any point.
Closing the album and in an almost natural transition from the previous track (which reminded me of the double feature of Dream Theater's "The Mirror" and "Lie" on the album Awake ), "Rotting" begins with an excellent twist, maintaining the mood but not the speed of the previous track. The bass line here is again the highlight, in a song that would fit much better in the middle of the album, as it ends and the listener is left waiting for the next track. If this was intentional to leave the album open for the next one, great, but I confess I was quite surprised by the abrupt ending.
Steelbound can be found on major streaming platforms and is an 8.5 album from a band that will surely surpass a 9 in future releases and, like so many other Brazilian bands, could take our country's name around the world with a work full of grit, competence, and love for heavy metal. The album only falters in the track order, which alters the perception of the album as a whole. Nowadays, few people consume an album from beginning to end, but in general that is the band's intention, and a more balanced organization of the songs would make the experience even more interesting.
In a very fitting analogy, we could say that this first album sounds like a first show. The band enters the stage with energy and a desire to do a great job, but still a little nervous, they make a few mistakes. After this initial moment, the musicians begin to win over the audience and become more confident. Everything starts to sound more natural and fun, culminating in a breathtaking end to the show, where the band leaves the audience excited and with high expectations for the next show.
Bring on the next album and long life to Ignited, yet another excellent band emerging from Brazilian soil.
