Grievance “Pilar, Pedra e Faca”

Band: Grievance
Title: Pilar, Pedra e Faca
Label: War Productions / Blackwood Productions / Base Record Production
Release Date: January 26, 2018
Country: Portugal

“Pilar, Pedra e Faca” is the second full-length release of the Portuguese black metal band Grievance, coming in 2016 on digital format only, just two years after their debut album “Retorno”. Now in the beginning of 2018, War Productions released the album on CD, and it is great opportunity to present the band and this record here.  Pilar, Pedra e Faca is 40 min long and contains 9 tracks in total. For me it was fantastic discovery and really enjoyed while listening. Lots of reasons for that. First of all the whole atmosphere which the music creates, transcending into ancient obscure worlds and landscapes. At certain points I had the feeling that I’m back into the mid 90s, listening to some of my favorite atmospheric black metal classic records. Basically almost all the all music, lyrics and voices were performed and written by Koraxid, except “Subliminar Voz Interior” which is performed and written by Tiago da Neta. Some special guests also appear on album: Tiago da Neta (Portuguese guitar on tracks 06, 08 and 09) and Joaquim “Vulture” Moreira (electric bass guitar in tracks 06 and 07).

Perhaps the greatest thing about all the songs is their inner diversity – full of various structures, combining melancholic sorrowful moods, acoustic passages with aggressive blasting riffs and screams. All the time I felt the hidden tension of grief and eternity; a similar feeling to the one when gazing into the majestic winter night sky…
The album can be listened at one breath – Fortaleza, O Novo Dia, Nausea, Un trono vazio are the perfect soundtrack for the winter sunset in the mountains. Pilar, Pedra e Faca ends with the glorious Agora e sempre – an epic and sorrowful soundscape into the dark nature and the full-moon existence, with no forgiveness in vain. 9/10 Count Vlad