I'm not sure who actually released this gem, but I got it from the kind folks at Terr?tten. This CD marks the 13-year anniversary of this killer hardcore/punk band from Brazil with 13 tracks all surrounding the concept of dealing with pain. The music is generally straightforward hardcore/punk with a lot of energy and awesome female vocals that are basically just raging screams (at times going for a more spoken approach). On rare occasions they'll break way outside the norm, such as the weird breaks with slick basslines and quick ska chords in "Alivio e Sina", and they hit on some nice melody in "Sangue" that's contrasted by a more aggressive vocal approach that sounds like it has a Japanese influence, but for the most part they keep things in line without venturing too far out there. The nice thing about it is that they're pretty damn diverse as it is, so the core is outright hardcore/punk, but they mix up the tempos all over the place, and there are a lot of darker elements working (see "As Amarras" and "Trancada") even though there's not really any metal happening... they just mess with some discordant note combinations and stuff like that. It's pretty interesting. They've got a slick recording as well. It's definitely not pristine and polished, but the mix is even and the tones are nice and natural. You can really hear the throaty texture of the vocals, the bass is thick and makes its presence known behind the guitars, the drums sound fine, etc. I wouldn't really change anything. The packaging here is fucking superb. The CD is housed in a thick oversized booklet with a sleeve mounted inside the back cover. The entire booklet is in black and white with some awesome sketchy/collaged illustrations and all of the lyrics in both Portuguese and English. The songs deal with both politics in the form of attacks on the general state of being in the world, and also a lot of personal issues, from fear and alienation, to having the strength and perseverance to make it through. This is a really cool CD from one of the most diverse bands I've heard out of Brazil lately. Of course a few of the songs aren't really that great, but more creative and well rounded compositions like "Trancada" really have a lot to offer. Check into this.
[self-released]
Running time - 28:16, Tracks: 13
[Notable tracks: N?o, As Amarras, Vai, Trancada]
No Rest - http://www.norest.com.br
