Label: Wikimetal Music
Date: April 5th, 2024
Time to move to a continent where’s in my opinion the greatest metal scene in the world – South America. And I’m as proud as a peacock that I can call one of the musicians, guitarist and vocalist, of such a legendary ensemble my good buddy! That’s why when I got to know Genocidio attacked once again with the new W. M. D. (weapon of mass destruction) I directly decided to review it as soon as possible. Well, for the reasons I mentioned in my last scribble, Antagonist, it took “a little” time (premiere of “Fort Conviction” was April 5th) to make it real, but finally here I’m! Anyways, since I know here in Europe, maybe even in the States and so on, too, Genocidio isn’t an anonymous name only for freaks like me, so I suppose writing some biographical facts is my duty. So, the band was formed in the most populous and, as I know, the oldest city of Brazil in 1986. “Fort Conviction” is their nineth full-length and at the same time the second one released digitally on Brazilian portal Wikimetal Music. Besides, guys have in the discography three demos, EP and two singles.
By the way, the just reviewed stuff contains eleven tracks. They take fifty-two minutes and twenty-one seconds. Musically it’s pure, old school death metal. This is strongly based in local, Brazilian, but also South American in general, tradition of playing extreme metal. That’s why you can recognize with no huge problems influences and even some elements of other sub-genres of our beloved music. In my opinion it’s first about thrash and doom (there’re whole songs which are into these genres, I guess), but even Black. We’re able to hear them both in music and vocalizations. When it takes them, then mostly we have to do with growling here, but especially in these doom metal inspired songs, Murillo presents us with his clean voice, too. Well, for example “Never Tear Us Apart” it’s a little bit harsh, but still clean singing. Growling itself is something characteristic for bands coming from this continent. Once it was like that also in Europe or North America or Asia too. But nowadays this tradition is alive first in Latin America. I mean that’s death/thrash vocal with a huge element of darkness. The same is about music. Anyways, broad horizons of musicians, beyond metal, can be seen in the case of the song closing this album. This is “Pictures of You” coming from the eighth studio album, “Disintegration”, of one of gothic rock’s precursors, even if the creativity of this ensemble never was one-dimensional. What band am I talking about? Check it out by yourselves – I gave you enough information to make it easy, I’d even say: as easy as pie, to do it. Of course, the above-mentioned track is the brightest example of Genocidio’s eclecticism. But at the same time that’s conservative enough. I mean, you have no doubts you’re listening to metal band.
Riffs are the most broken and brutal, but from time to time also aggressive and sharp in thrash meaning or even spatial as well – in some tracks. And I don’t mean here “Pictures of You”, because Brazilians’ version doesn’t differ very much from the original, even if it’s almost a minute shorter. Anyways, even here guys add something that feels metal, which probably can sound strange for you. But just listen to it and you’ll probably agree with me. The same is in the case of “Never…”, a song which is also not their composition. We have of course several guitar tricks here and there, too. In general Paulistas’ creativity is very interesting, technically advanced (and it takes every instrument, including vocal) and developed, but at the same time within limits. If you don’t know what I mean, then just read once again the last sentence of the paragraph above.
So, I have no idea why the hell you’re still reading my tripe, why don’t you run to open another window on your browser and search the stuff? In my opinion this, just like all other releases of Genocidio, is a must have for every open-minded metalhead! It’s especially easy to find them all.
