Irae – Promiscuous Fire

Band: Irae
Album: Promiscuous Fire
Label: Signal Rex
Release date: January 24th, 2025
Country: Portugal
Format reviewed: High-quality digital recording

At this point, it can easily be said that Irae has created a legacy of its own, their extensive, high-quality catalog of releases serving as proof of that. Their latest effort, a four-song EP titled Promiscuous Fire is yet another artillery strike, with the exceedingly blasphemous album art serving as a clear pre-listen shock for the unfamiliar. Musically, the EP comes off as an undoubtedly raw, yet well-crafted piece of music, that highlights both the songwriting skills and the commitment to darkness of project mastermind Hugo “Vulturius” Leal. Now, without further ado, let’s dive in.

The EP opens up with “The Curse of Lael”, a moody, yet punchy track that bears resemblance to Watain’s Sworn to the Dark, at least to my ears that is. The song alternates between blast beats sections and groovier moments to create a dynamic composition that brings forth the sinister, intricate riffing. There is also some, although rather faint, bass work that does wonders in adding depth to the groovy passages in particular. Strangely, I found myself liking those exact moments much more than the “standard ones”, which I would say is a fairly rare occurrence in my listening experience. The vocal performance stands out as soon as it comes in due to the unique approach it follows. It comes off more as a very gritty type of shouting, rather than the high screeches heard on previous records, and although this might not be very noticeable at a first listen, you’d be surprsised to hear how interesting it actually is.

Coming up next, “Vinho de Gólgota” takes the mid-tempo sections and perfects them into a headbanger’s anthem. The riffs are catchy, the drumming is great, and it is just a very solid, almost thrashy track that will certainly get you moving. In terms of mood it is a lot less gloomy than its predecessor, leaning more on, as I mentioned previously, the first wave/ thrash metal influences than on the second wave aspects that gave “The Curse of Lael” that specific eerie edge, but nevertheless, I found myself having great fun with it, and even coming back to it several times. It is the kind of song that would probably do really well in a live context.

The atmosphere shifts back towards that initial darker tone as soon as “Porco de Satanás” kicks in. This one takes the other half of “The Curse of Lael”, mainly the second wave parts and expands on them, creating something just as impressive. Something that I forgot to mention about this EP is that it doesn’t compromise on quality. I’ve seen bands not put as much effort into their EPs as they do for full-length releases, and I’m happy to say that this is not the case for “Promiscuous Fire”. This is also the reason why the EP doesn’t sound incomplete once it is over, all musical ideas present being well developed and thought out. This track specifically makes great use of various guitar arrangements to create interest and an overall satisfying listening experience.

The EP closes off with “Endless Circle”, a song that picks up the main ideas from throughout the records and puts them together to create a fitting ending. I love the more chaotic riffs in the beginning of the piece, and how the phrasing of the lyrics creates an almost ritualistic feeling when it comes to the performance. I also like the fact that the grittiness of the vocals is even further emphasized here, even when compared to other songs, which adds to the sensation of finality carried on by the track. That sensation of finality is further emphasized by the slightly more grandiose and dramatic dynamic of “Endless Circle”, which is nowhere to be found anywhere else on the album.

Overall, Promiscuous Fire is what I would call an example of a successful EP, and something that will easily get you out of a listening, or, in my case, writing slump. Go give it a shot, I can guarantee you’ll have fun with it. 8.5/10 by Ioana

Band
Bandcamp
Spotify
Facebook
Instagram

Label
Official Website
Bandcamp
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter

8.5/10 To Greatness and Glory!
**Please support the underground! It’s vital to the future of our genre**
#WeAreBlessedAltarZine
#TheZineSupportingTheUnderground