Defuntos - Invocação aos Mortos

Transilvanian Hunger Is Still Feasting On Bands.

Defuntos is a blackened doom duo from Portugal. This is the duo's fourth full-length in their 5 year existence. Taking a lot of their sound from the raw and more primal side of black metal, this is a record, and band, that is not for everyone.
Just to make this clear to anyone reading this before reading any further, if you expect any sort of black metal, or at least some form of black metal that contains anything that would even keep a new fan of the genre listening, you will not find that on here. This is just to address a point that most people will most likely find this the most kvlt thing out there in a long time. I won't try and dishearten you from checking this out based on what you read or already know of this band, but let me simply warn you with the following statements.
First of all, I have to say that this is about as kvlt as I would ever consider a band getting. The production is very raw, very lo-fi, and very dark. What little that occurs within these 3 tracks can be heard and analyzed by even the most casual listener.
Secondly, if you expect to get pummeled by pounding drums, wretched vocals, or buzzing guitars, let this serve as a deal breaker, sorry if this ruins your perspective on this. There are no guitars on this album, the duo simply make use, most of the time, of drums, bass, and vocals, with a piano every so often. The drums are very minimal and downplay most of what is going on, keeping things on here very doomy. The bass lines are repetitive and are the foremost melody provider on this album. The vocals are in fact sung in a very mournful and depressive way and ever occasionally enter into an almost wine, they are not screamed.
Finally, the real tracks on here, this excludes the organ interlude, Cemitério Ardente, are just way too long. Both tracks top 15 minutes, and really don't seem to move anywhere, ending pretty much in the same place you began. This probably proves the biggest hindrance to the album.
But on a more positive note, I will say that the band certainly can create an atmosphere. This is incredibly minimal in terms of structure, performance, and sound but that in turn actually makes this album incredibly potent when achieving a very dreary vibe. Unlike most of the depressive projects that have popped up in recent years, the atmosphere on this is much more morose and depressing.

Overall, this is a very dark record. This is the type of record that is created when you go up listening to early Darkthrone and Burzum records and you have to record in a bad studio. If you're looking for a very brooding and morbid sounding record from a very underground band, check this out.
Overall Score: 6
Highlights: Funeral De Memórias