SEM PROPÓSITO

As is so often the case, discovering one new band leads very quickly to discovering two or more others. When I was recommended the 2021 release from Caio Lemos under the Kaatayra name, I found it so intriguing I had to know what else Lemos had put his name to. Lemos had three releases under three different band names in 2021, and although I enjoyed all three, it was the releases by Kaatayra and Bríi that really impressed me, with their unique takes on atmospheric black metal. With Bríi, Lemos has absolutely perfected a fusion of ambient and black metal, that sounds either improbable or a gimmick, yet is simply incredible to hear. When I first saw the description, I assumed it might be dark ambient, as I could more easily reconcile that concept with black metal in my head. But no, Bríi in no way are a dark ambient band, although they are reminiscent at times to the darkwave post-black metal sounds of bands like Alcest.

With two long form pieces titled simply for the sides of the cassette they have been released on, there is ample opportunity for Lemos to allow the music to evolve throughout the pieces. A begins with a repetitive electronic motif, as synths swirl and swell underneath. It's certainly sounding more German than Brazilian, and as a minimalist techno beat is subtly added, I was rather unsure on my first listen how much I was going to enjoy this, or quite how the black metal elements could be added without sounding completely incongruous. This first passage carries on for about five minutes before segueing very cleverly into the first black metal passage. It's an odd analogy, but the way this is achieved reminds me of the way Nine Inch Nails segued into Bowie during their combined tour in a very smooth and organic fashion. But as much as I love it all, where A really hits for me is around the 12-minute mark, where out of the quiet comes a plaintive guitar that slowly builds and twists and turns until it sounds positively Fripp-esque. The music gently and slowly crescendos beneath, and then bursts suddenly into the heaviest passage of the song - yet one that is not at all black metal. The vocalisations here are simply amazing!

At this point, it seems as if the song is ending at around the 17-minute mark, and it could so easily have done so, having climaxed triumphantly. There are still a good ten minutes remaining though, and the next passage is one which is preceded by the heavy ambient style Tool often uses, before the black metal blasts in again. The blast beats transition into frenetic tribal percussion, and the harsh vocals give way to chanting, before the post-black metal settles into a post-rock form for the final minutes, with some more superb and sublime guitar. The whole piece is impeccably composed, and flows beautifully. What's more, the production is also great. None of that lo-fi aesthetic that so many one-man black metal acts go for. The mix is crystal clear, and a joy to listen to. And that's just A. There's still B to go. Sem Propósito provides just under an hour of music that absolutely flies by, and leaves me wanting more.