Liste der Bands Death Metal Theriomorphic The Beast Brigade

When you think Death Metal, Portugal does not rank first on the list. Actually, in the European world of Extreme Metal, it looks like Portugal is a bit far away and except for a few bands like Decayed or Moonspell, Portuguese seem to be a bit distanced.

Well, there’s an exception to every rule. Theriomorphic has been founded in Lisboa in 1997 around members from various local acts. After a demo released in 2000, the band will wait around five years to release their first full-length with the not so modest name of ‘Enter the Mighty Theriomorphic’. Despite a limited worldwide exposure and distributed by local label Exorcize Music, the album gets enthusiastic reviews.

Three years later, in 2008, Theriomorphic comes back with The Beast Brigade signed on Dethstar Wreck’ordes, again a small Portuguese label. Let’s hope that Theriomorphic will gain some momentum with this new release despite a ‘weak’ distribution.

Musically, Theriomorphic plays very talented melodic Death Metal. I’m not your regular ‘Melodeath’ fan, which I often find a bit too pompous, too demonstrative and clearly too ‘nice’ for my ears much more acquainted with aggressive sonorities.

Still, Theriomorphic does not fall into the pits of playing easy music to become a soulless and tasteless clone of bands like Children Of Bodom or even still Arch Enemy.
First and above all things, the band plays Death Metal and I would bet quite a few bucks after having listened to The Beast Brigade that albums like Heartwork (Carcass), Tales From The Thousand Lakes (Amorphis) or The Red In The Sky Is Ours (At The Gates) have been played quite a few times in these guys’ stereo.

Aside the obvious references of the (promising) debuts of melodic Death Metal, your ears will linger on some things that will definitely remind you of what Death Metal is, stricto senso, and here and there you’ll think that this riff wouldn‘t have ashamed Altars Of Madness (Morbid Angel) or Clandestine (Entombed) especially in the quasi anthem The Beast Brigade (Part I) with its ultra catchy chorus: WE ARE The Beast Brigade , WE COME TO DOMINATE (that says it all!).
This brilliant mixture where melody serves the structure of the songs rather than decorates them, where furious headbanging-inducing riffs (be careful not to rip out your neck) gives birth to tracks of awesome catchiness.

Probably, the only negative thing that one could say against Theriomorphic's The Beast Brigade is slight lack of identity which in my opinion sounds a bit too much Swedish when it comes to production. Still, I wouldn’t be despising Sweden and all that it gave to the Death Metal scene, all subgenres included, but quite like a certain Tomas Skogsberg that took it to the top but eventually later made it look too smooth and generic, a production ‘method’ that’s been heard about a hundred times can get tiresome and have negative side-effects on a promising band by lack of relief. This is especially true if the said band does not enjoy the firepower of labels like Nuclear Blast Records or Century Media.

Still, do not get the wrong idea with this tiny negative remark. This is only Theriomorphic’s second album and I really hope that a bigger label will pick them up for future releases to give them with time the chance to prosper and grow with their very own style.

The Beast Brigade is a solid album and I’m glad I took the chance to discover this Portuguese band which I would never have thought could deliver such good music. I bet I shouldn’t be too much a smart ass because now I’ve got quite a neck ache.

You’ve been warned…