The answer to the question “What if Opeth were Brazilian and even more progressive?”, Rio de Janeiro act Piah Mater return after a six-year absence with the genre-bending Under The Shadow Of A Foreign Sun (Code666 Records).

From Death Metal to Jazz, Blues, and even Brazilian Folk, the band’s third full-length studio release finds vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Luiz Felipe Netto and guitarist Igor Meira joined by accomplished bass player Luan Moura and the seemingly multi-armed Pedro Mercier on drums. Not to mention a host of guest appearances by highly respected musicians and singers from around the globe.

Inhabiting the borders of conceptual territory without ever fully stepping over the line, Under The Shadow… possesses a thematic core rooted in alienation and estrangement as it explores the feelings of groups or individuals striving to escape their homelands. 

Getting underway, our journey into anthropological avant-garde Death Metal begins with the tempestuous “As Islands Sink.” Featuring vocals from Portuguese singer Marta Garrett, and Jassy Mumin Gabriel, the song’s quiet intro moves effortlessly into a series of intricate riffs and off-kilter rhythms while clean vocals, throaty growls and subtle keyboards underpin the spidery six-string work as nine minutes pass in an instant.

The longest cut on the album, single “Fallow Garden,” evokes the likes of Ihsahn and Enslaved with its Black Metal-style tremolo picking, an expertly performed Jazz Blues guitar solo, and a typically schizophrenic saxophone contribution from (Norwegian) Shining frontman Jørgen Munkeby. “Macaws Lament” follows, a gentle guitar interlude that could conceivably refer to the shrinking of the Amazon rainforest. 

With guest appearances from violinist Ayran Nicodemo and cellist Joe Zeitlin, the magnificent “In Fringes” features hulking riffs balanced by graceful fretwork, beautifully sung clean passages juxtaposed with savage gutturals, and of course, bongos. A sensationally assembled melange of Progressive Metal, seventies Rock, Jazz and Blues, “Terra Dois” again features Garrett and Nicodemo, this time aided by vocalist Daniel Albuquerque, violinist Damian Bolotin and cellist Bruno Serroni for extra depth. 

Rooted in Brazilian Folk, the climactic “Canícula” combines Spanish guitar and Portuguese vocals, with singer Isadora Melo delivering a mournfully mesmerizing performance in her native language. Brazilian percussionist Mafram do Maracanã and flautist Yuri Vilar join the throng of guest performers and enhance the towering curtain-closer even further as Netto and Meira bring the atmospheric Opeth style riffs one final time for the song’s dramatic conclusion.

An examination of humanity which flows from the music into the lyrics and even the album artwork, the band distance themselves from the current trend of computer generated covers and turn to Romanian artist Rada Niță Josan for something less artificially manufactured instead. 

Challenging, ambitious and utterly enthralling, Under The Shadow Of A Foreign Sun is a stunning example of Progressive Death Metal that sees the band continuing to evolve into new and exciting different forms.

Buy the album here:
https://piahmater.bandcamp.com/album/under-the-shadow-of-a-foreign-sun

9 / 10
GARY ALCOCK