With a large number of releases lately, many things end up going unnoticed, especially when it comes to quality material. Brazilian metal sometimes takes a backseat since much of what reaches listeners comes from outside the country, however, I'm here to correct that mistake and highlight an album that deserves to be among the best of the year on any list: DEATHinitive Love AtmosFEAR , the new album by Tellus Terror , released via Xaninho Discos.
The sextet from Niterói, RJ, plays symphonic death/black metal with strong influences from Cradle of Filth , Dimmu Borgir , and Mystic Circle , and released their second album in January 2024, 10 years after EZ Life DV8 . Recorded at Tellus Studio, the band worked with Caio Mendonça (former guitarist of LAC and Ereboros , and who has worked with Forceps , LAC , Ereboros , Grave Desecrator , and Slowphobia ) who produced, mixed, and mastered the album. During this period, the group's sound changed, as the first album had more experimental parts, and this new album is more direct, embracing the dark side and creating a powerful, solid, and technically proficient sound barrier.
Felipe Borges ' vocals alternating between harsh and guttural with impressive naturalness. Here, the influence of Dimmu Borgir, which I mentioned earlier, is noticeable, as the keyboards create a deep and expansive atmosphere, coupled with drumming that dictates the rhythm of the music. Following this, “Absolute Zero” begins with an explosion of blast beats by Rafael Lobato and guitar riffs by the duo Leandro Pinheiro and Victor Magalhães , combined with Felipe's monstrous vocals, which have a touch of Glenn Benton (vocalist, Deicide ) with the vocals being doubled, with guttural and harsh vocals happening simultaneously, in addition to a guitar solo full of inspiration and melody.
“Darkest Rubicon” is a blockbuster, full of black metal riffs that alternate between speed and a more measured chorus. This track features Alexandre Silveira , which, in addition to creating an incredible atmosphere, include passages with choral vocals and another mind-blowing guitar solo. Using a different approach to black/death metal, “Psyclone Darxide” offers a simple sound combined with a more refined rhythm section, where Marcelo Val and drums stand out, while “Cry Me a River” showcases a more intricate technical work (again, great guitar riffs can be heard).
“Shattered Murono Heart” arrives with great dark and melodic hooks, a great chorus, and yet another excellent vocal performance, showcasing Felipe's versatility and mastery of the style, coupled with another great keyboard work. “Abyssphere” brings the black metal side back to the forefront, with vocals that directly evoke what Dani Filth does in Cradle of Filth, as well as great guitar riffs.
Even with the band's new musical approach, "Brain Technology, Pt.2 (...and Humanity Have Feelings No More...)" establishes a link between the past and present of their sound, with contrasts between screams and growls from softer female voices (courtesy of Bertha Maria Marzall , who participates in the track). "Sickroom Bed" arrives with weight and groove, with the more death metal side gaining prominence, both through the instruments and the guttural vocals.
Shagrath 's work , along with another barrage of blast beats and a headbanging rhythm. “Lone Sky Universum” boasts a beautiful melody, with the softer female vocals fitting perfectly into the music, contrasting with Felipe's growls and guttural vocals, and a more doom/gothic metal rhythm, making it a breath of fresh air amidst all the insanity presented so far, while still maintaining the band's technical prowess and power.
The album closes with “Empty Nails,” a track with a more accessible sound, not as extreme as its predecessors, featuring beautiful keyboard work, simpler riffs, and a mesmerizing atmosphere. Even after a 10-year wait, Tellus Terror fans have much to celebrate with the release of DEATHinitive Love AtmosFEAR . The album showcases a band confident in its sound, sharp and eager, which, even having changed its sound (I would say evolved), has shown that it is ready to leave the underground and dominate the genre, both domestically and internationally.
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