Press - Reviews
01st July 2007
Turbulence review, Ancient Ceremonies #13
THANATOSCHIZO - Turbulence
Misdeed Records
Situated in Trás-os-Montes, Portugal, Thanatoschizo is one of the Portuguese bands that has played more gigs in the last four years. Always putting a lot of effort on their music, the band early started to play a Death/Black Metal with slightly doomy influences, and later evolved into a Progressive Dark Doom. Thanatoschizo are not a band that broke through the underground thanks to "Idols" shows or because of having one female member on the team. This is not Evanescence, O.K.? Patrícia doesn't sing bad as Amy Lee, nor does she appears on every magazine cover in posing positions (!). "InsomniousNightLift" marked the change of an "innocent" debut sound into a more "serious" project. I'm not saying that "Schizo Level" was a bad release, fuck no. "Schizo Level" was a funny album, with good ideas waiting to be improved, to become more adult and personal. Still, it was a good CD filled with a very ironic lyrical theme focused on what Heavy Metal is today and about those "evil bands", like Cradle Of Filth". So, with "InsomniousNightLift", Thanatoschizo injected some prog ideas that worked very well among the fans and the Portuguese critics, in spite of losing some fans that "were there because of the raw Black songs and Death riffs". With the success of their second album Thanatoschizo needed to risk and give a good firm step if they wanted to continue on evolving and stepping aside from the mediocre Portuguese Metal underground. And that's what they did. "Turbulence" marks the best Portuguese records released so far, in my opinion, not wanting to provoque other bands. "Turbulence" has increadible Avant Garde songs with a deep emotional feeling, and that's what cativates me as a fan of their music. For instance, "Sweet Suicidal Serenade" almost could be a single because it sounds to catchy and melodic... yet, dark and with a clean/gutural voice from Eduardo on the vocals. After the first listening I found myself singing "Sweet Suicidal Serenade" within my head! The Keyboards that seem not very important, play a very important role in the songs' structure. I wanna salute the two vocalists for their improvement as singers, for they inject a desperate (yet positive) feeling on every song, and sometimes that's what misses on some interesting Portuguese bands: the feeling. Thanatoschizo also explored the ethnic territory, just like as The Firstborn have recently done, and "Void" is one hell of a fabulous song. African/Asian melodies, melodic keyboards along with a constant tribal beat on the drums. Actually, this is THE SONG that proves I'm serious when I say the guys are totally Avant Garde: the structure starts with a very simple rhythm but it develops into a more complex guitar work (G. Martins also has improved as a guitarist) with, - in the end - a quick smell of that good ol' 80's Sepultura thrashing mad spirit. Globally this is a fantastic release from a band that must deserve all of your respect and credit. Bands like these don't come everyday. Progressive Doom at it's best.
[9]
Simão Fonseca
THANATOSCHIZO - Turbulence
Misdeed Records
Situated in Trás-os-Montes, Portugal, Thanatoschizo is one of the Portuguese bands that has played more gigs in the last four years. Always putting a lot of effort on their music, the band early started to play a Death/Black Metal with slightly doomy influences, and later evolved into a Progressive Dark Doom. Thanatoschizo are not a band that broke through the underground thanks to "Idols" shows or because of having one female member on the team. This is not Evanescence, O.K.? Patrícia doesn't sing bad as Amy Lee, nor does she appears on every magazine cover in posing positions (!). "InsomniousNightLift" marked the change of an "innocent" debut sound into a more "serious" project. I'm not saying that "Schizo Level" was a bad release, fuck no. "Schizo Level" was a funny album, with good ideas waiting to be improved, to become more adult and personal. Still, it was a good CD filled with a very ironic lyrical theme focused on what Heavy Metal is today and about those "evil bands", like Cradle Of Filth". So, with "InsomniousNightLift", Thanatoschizo injected some prog ideas that worked very well among the fans and the Portuguese critics, in spite of losing some fans that "were there because of the raw Black songs and Death riffs". With the success of their second album Thanatoschizo needed to risk and give a good firm step if they wanted to continue on evolving and stepping aside from the mediocre Portuguese Metal underground. And that's what they did. "Turbulence" marks the best Portuguese records released so far, in my opinion, not wanting to provoque other bands. "Turbulence" has increadible Avant Garde songs with a deep emotional feeling, and that's what cativates me as a fan of their music. For instance, "Sweet Suicidal Serenade" almost could be a single because it sounds to catchy and melodic... yet, dark and with a clean/gutural voice from Eduardo on the vocals. After the first listening I found myself singing "Sweet Suicidal Serenade" within my head! The Keyboards that seem not very important, play a very important role in the songs' structure. I wanna salute the two vocalists for their improvement as singers, for they inject a desperate (yet positive) feeling on every song, and sometimes that's what misses on some interesting Portuguese bands: the feeling. Thanatoschizo also explored the ethnic territory, just like as The Firstborn have recently done, and "Void" is one hell of a fabulous song. African/Asian melodies, melodic keyboards along with a constant tribal beat on the drums. Actually, this is THE SONG that proves I'm serious when I say the guys are totally Avant Garde: the structure starts with a very simple rhythm but it develops into a more complex guitar work (G. Martins also has improved as a guitarist) with, - in the end - a quick smell of that good ol' 80's Sepultura thrashing mad spirit. Globally this is a fantastic release from a band that must deserve all of your respect and credit. Bands like these don't come everyday. Progressive Doom at it's best.[9]
Simão Fonseca
