Vidres a la Sang – Virtut del desencís

Band: Vidres a la Sang
Title: Virtut del desencís
Label: Eternal Juggernaut Records
Release date: November 29th, 2024
Country: Spain
Format reviewed: High-Quality Digital Recording

“Virtut del desencís” (“Virtue of disenchantment”) is the 6th studio album by Vidres a la Sang, an extreme Metal band whose music is nothing “conventional”. I mean… for those of you who don’t know Vidres a la Sang, don’t expect to find similarities with this or that extreme Metal band, because they stand on their own. Their music is unique and special, trying to explain myself a little better I would say that the pace is in constant change, there are multiple turns in the songs that makes each one of them truly unique, with multiple nuances, twists, an impressive display of emotion mixed with aggression; passion and fury intertwine in their music and the result is amazing.

To understand the album title, I want to quote (translated from Catalan) the words that the band use to define it: “The virtue of disenchantment is that state of the soul in which the last lucid thoughts dwell just before giving in to the total absence of all hope”. With this fatal statement, you can imagine what the album is about, even if you can’t understand the lyrics ‘cause they are in Catalan, surely you’ll get the sense of it with the extreme instrumentation and the harsh voice, sometimes getting really high on emotion (like in “Llàgrimes de sang”, “Blood tears”). There’s a collaboration of Arnau Tordera (Obeses) doing vocals in the song “Sempre és incert” (“It’s always uncertain”); he confers something truly special to this track: it turns to be something beautiful, almost ethereal, besides being harsh due to Eloi vocals, and the deep resonation of bass brings a lot of emotion, while the changing drum patterns and those constant guitar notes end up in provoking almost an hypnotic effect.

A thing that also makes their albums special is that they use some of the poems of Miquel Martí i Pol, who was a well-known Catalan poet, as their lyrics. And, as a Catalan person myself, this is a thing that gives me goosebumps. But even if you are not from my country, you’ll surely get the vibes of their emotional lyrics blended with the furious extreme metal instrumentation, and also the calmed pace at times that provides a state of alert in the listener. Yes, because you are waiting for the “heavier” part to come…

The six songs in “Virtut del desencís” vary in length between 6 and more than 9 minutes, and each of them is like an intricate voyage through the human soul, through feelings and emotions, all seasoned with the heavy instrumentation and the harsh vocals. Starting with “Màrtirs” (“Martyrs”), which intro makes you think you’re in front of a Post-Black Metal album maybe… but only for a minute, until blast beats attack. Lyrics are really touching, and the bass does a fantastic work. Ending with “Llàgrimes de sang”, more than 9 minutes of a fantastic journey through emotions, with all its ups and downs. Building heaviness little by little until it becomes unbearable and explodes in a majestic guitar solo.

Guitar solos are extremely well played, Albert Martí is a master at six strings (he also plays in the band Foscor); but not only the solos, ‘cause the rhythmic section is also impressive. Eloi Boucherie is the other musician handling guitar duties and, mainly, he is the vocalist in the band. His monotone and harsh voice adds an extra layer of darkness and emotion to the songs. Drums (Jordi Farré) are a-m-a-z-i-n-g, in the sense that the drum patterns are constantly changing, flowing, going from furious and energetic beats to mid-paced tempos and turning again into something different. I love the percussion in these six songs and the way in which Jordi alternates all the elements in his kit like he’s bringing it into something alive. And, oh the bass…Cristian Vilches and his instrument play a great role in these songs, adding the depth for the sonic landscape, sounding fantastic in the background, and also with the ability to underline and enhance the guitar melodies.

“Capricis de l’atzar” (“Whims of chance”) is a masterpiece in terms of composition, the structure captivates me with the initial minimalism of the string instruments, and the lively rhythm of drums afterwards. Delicate and strong at the same time.

There’s a song in particular that blows my mind: “Records a l’oblit” (“Memories to oblivion”), maybe because it’s the most intense, from start to finish… Starting with a very heavy drumming (say hello to blast beats), and dynamic guitar playing, while vocals do their harsh work as usual. And you can listen to the bass with its deep resonance among it all. Even if the whole song is not maintaining that high energy level all the time, there’s fantastic rhythmic work done by guitars and the varied drum patterns win my heart… this, and the guitar solo, very warm and melodic.

At the end of the album I feel brainwashed, touched by the immense emotional charge in these six songs. This is something extreme and powerful yet unconventional stuff, and maybe you need a few listens before you get it completely. 9/10 by Sílvia

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