PIAH MATER

Formed in 2010 by guitarists Luiz Felipe Netto and Igor Meira, the group sought to conjure the introspective yet grandiose nature which can be found in the work of artists like Ihsahn, Opeth and Enslaved and there is no doubt that on their third album they are still working very much in that vein. After a brief stint as a trio in 2018 when they brought in a full-time drummer with whom they recorded their last album, they have gone back to being a duo with Netto providing vocals, guitars, keyboards and Meira guitars, bringing in a host of other musicians to assist them in fulfilling their vision. A special callout should go to Tony Lindgren (Leprous, Amorphis, Enslaved) as he mastered this and turned fully understood the brief.

As with their major influences, one is never sure quite where Piah Mater are going to go as some of the music is very dark and Black Metal in its approach, while others are far lighter (and indeed closing number "Canicula" commences as Brazilian folk music, sung in Portuguese), which is certainly very different indeed to the likes of "Follow Garden" which is quite Ihsahn in its attack. They can be incredibly brutal, with harshness and atmosphere, yet there is always a polish and shining light somewhere within the darkness which ensures the drama is always close at hand. The switch between gruff and sung vocals is especially powerful and poignant as they also bring in keyboards to provide depth as they move more into Fleshgod Apocalypse territory. Then in the middle of the album we have a nice interlude with "Macaw's Lament", a nice fingerpicking exercise which certainly does not normally belong on an album which contains such ferocity but here it is very poignant indeed. There is a great deal of depth on this release, with one never knowing quite where it is going to lead the listener, but the joy is in the journey. Well worth discovering.

Piah Mater's last album, The Wandering Daughter, was one of the first albums I ever reviewed for this site. I enjoyed it overall, but I did complain it was a bit too close to classic Opeth. Their new record is certainly still Opeth-y, but they've established a more distinct sound for themselves. Dashes of black metal can be heard throughout the record, and jazz elements are prominent. "Fallow Garden", in particular, has an extended sax-forward section which varies between smooth and harsh; and "In Fringes" mixes in folk-jazz between crushing riffs. Under the Shadow of a Foreign Sun does an excellent job of continuing Opeth's musical legacy without just sounding like a clone.

Review originally published here: theeliteextremophile.com/2024/10/07/odds-ends-october-7-2024/

This band comes from a region in Brazil that's not among the responsible(s) for the best prog metal releases on the country. It's easy to confirm this by looking to the most important groups that has appeared in Rio de Janeiro. Tempus Fugit, Quaterna Requiem, Caravela Escarlate, Aether, Jubal Troupe, Kaizen, Index, among others that take usually the symphonic prog path for their artistic expression. Some exceptions, for instance, like the group Organic Reaction, which released only one great album. Or Sleepwalker Sun, that's not exactly from Rio de Janeiro, but from a neighboring municipality. Well, as prog metal is not my favourite musical genre, I may be wrong. Please let me know if its the case. Nonetheless, if I'm correct, now I can say that there is another exception. Piah Mater. With mature composition skills and a lot of work, they already released three albums. This review is about the last.

Excelent phrasings on the synths are performed on its beginnnig. The musicians and the gutturals give space one to each other, so the listener can figure out clearly all of them. Besides, they soon present a considerable variety of arrangements and times, without getting confused. On the contrary, cohesion is sustained almost all the time. Still on the first track, some backing vocals complefixy the vocal harmonies, and it becomes even more rich because there are some non-guttural vocals. I truly enjoy this versatility. The bass playing is awesome, consistent and accelerated. So, after a few blinks of my eyes, this song was over.

Next track starts smooth, intimate. They quickly get heavier, using those initial phrases. This composition is quite similar to the previous song. With three diferences: bass is not so proeminent; there are three singers this time; and because of brilliant interventions on the saxophone.

Third track is an acoustic short piece, that works very fine as na interlude. It's all guitar fingering.

The first part of fourth track is heavy, but more close to a slow timing than to a fast one. They surprise me when the composition goes to a more acoustic set. At least for me this is an inversion of a cliché: it's more common, not only in prog metal but also in other musical genres, that when there is an acoustic excerpt, it's almost always placed in the beginning. Well, after this part, they return to the prog metal vein. Vocals are particularly inspired, very emotional. Fabulous contributions from violin and cello bring even more lirism to the executions.

On "Terra Dois", guitars and vocals are a bit more sober at the first moment. Closer to the middle of the song they become heavier, and harmonies increase on complexity. On the second half, violin and synths perform a wonderful symphonic duet. Besides, some rythmic sections are flavoured by some slightly jazz feeling. However, the end of this track is a bit confusing.

The beatiful introduction of the last track consists of dialogues between flute, cello, acoustic guitar, viola and vocals in portuguese, of the highest level. It's a very interesting proposal, that sounds like a lament, with a tiny Tom Jobim touch. This goes on until a bit after the half of the song, when they get heavier, but without abandoning the lirismo, because the violin still keeps accompanying almost all the time. What makes this song a fine example of symphonic metal.

4,3 on a 5 star scale.

Piah Mater are a Brazilian trio performing a style of progressive death metal highly reminiscent of Opeth's classic material. That's not an easy sound to execute, but these guys pull it off excellently. Had Mikael Åkerfeldt and his crew put this out, this would be hailed as Opeth's best album since Watershed.

After the brief, idyllic opener, growls and aggressive, chugging death metal riffs take the spotlight and drive "Solace in Oblivion" forward. As is to be expected of a band so heavily drawing from Opeth's sound, these extended pieces have frequent breaks of quiet jazz guitar and moments of soaring clean vocals. Many of the softer moments would not feel out of place on a Camel album. The narration on this song is pretty corny, but it's a minor issue overall.

This pattern of snarling riffage gets a reprieve on "The Sky Is Our Shelter". This song is one area where Piah Mater actually exceed Opeth. The latter's ballads often feel tepid and uninspired, but this song slinks along with fluid guitar lines and warbling keys to create a calm yet tense piece of music. The eventual entrance of distorted instrumentation is impactful in a way rarely achieved in many metal ballads.

The closing epic "The Meek's Inheritance" is another highpoint. Clean and growled vocals frequently swap the spotlight. The music rarely lets up in intensity, serving to augment the lyrical condemnation of human greed and its impact upon the world. After a brief jazz interlude, the song's finale kicks into high gear. Haunting, echoing clean guitar arpeggios soar over the distorted foundation.

Not everything on this album is amazing, though. While the comparison to Opeth is mostly positive, it is also unavoidable. Piah Mater ape Opeth hard. The similarity at times is so uncanny it's distracting, and it's particularly egregious in the opening minutes of "Earthbound Ruins". "Sprung from Weakness" doesn't do much to stand out either, and all the longer tracks are undermined by poorly-developed moments, blurring together into an indistinct blob.

I'm looking forward to this band's future output, but I also really hope they diversify their sound or do something to differentiate themselves. I like Opeth, and it's fine to draw inspiration from them. But hearing a band that sound almost exactly the same sucks some of the fun out of discovering new music.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2019/02/11/album-review-piah-mater-the-wandering-daughter/