Album & EP Reviews

Sour Brandy – Unglory

Sour Brandy – Unglory
Reverbera Music Media
Release Date: 28/04/23
Running Time: 33:12
Review by Laura Barnes
7/10

Introducing: Sour Brandy. Sour Brandy’s sound is the sound of dirt roads and sunburnt necks, the sound of empty saloons and stolen motorcycles. It is loud and wild and unruly, groove metal with a Southern rock kick, and let me tell you: I would kill to hear them play live. That’s what strikes me the most as I listen to Sour Brandy’s latest album, “Unglory”. Now, I’ve never actually had the privilege of going to a Sour Brandy gig (since they’re based in São Paulo, Brazil and I’m based in Middle Of Nowhere, England) but their unrelenting shredding makes it pretty damn clear that this is a band that lives for the heat, sweat and chaos of a live show. To me, “Unglory” is an album that aims to capture the Sour Brandy magic that no doubt appears during a live show, and unleash it in CD form. The result? Glorious, glorious carnage.

Inspired by the cowboys of the wild west, “Unglory” takes some time to create the right atmosphere from the get-go with intro track, ‘W.O.R.T.H’. Swirling bass and distortion surrounds you, an uneasy calm before the storm. The calm doesn’t go on for too long, though – that’s not what Sour Brandy are here for. ‘Flood’ is scorching and furious, and also provides decent proof that you don’t need harsh vocals to be heavy as fuck. Sure, Adrian Godoy’s vocals have a raspy, sharp-edged quality that would lend itself to some nice screaming, but the truth is that Sour Brandy’s music doesn’t need it. Godoy’s clean vocals stand tall all alone. 

Their entrance made, Sour Brandy lets loose. They definitely err on the more Sepultura, Pantera side of things (sidenote: I hate Phil Anselmo. Not because of his music, he’s just racist. Sorry, had to get it out of my system [Dark Juan agrees with you, Laura. Let us all love one another. Not hate]), but there are other influences at play here, too. Echoes of Black Label Society’s more bluesy sound and Trouble’s stoner sensibilities can be heard throughout. While this means that Sour Brandy’s sound won’t be the most original thing you’ve ever heard, it also means that it fucking rules, it goes hard, it’s more badass than The Deathslinger reeling someone in with one hand and smoking a cigarette with the other, etcetera, etcetera. It’s hard to encapsulate with ordinary human language just how badass this album is. The combination of guitars and vocals during the chorus of ‘Let It Die’ is positively hair-raising, and the guitar licks on ‘Ground Me Down’ are fucking stellar. In terms of production, “Unglory” has a slightly muddy quality. While this may not appeal to all listeners, it does suit the DIY, working-class feel of Sour Brandy’s style. The guitars are loud and brash and everything they need to be, and the bass has a bouncy, grumbling sound that really thickens the soundscape. On a personal level, I would like the vocals to be brought forward slightly in order to draw the listener deeper into the album’s story world, because it’s a world worth delving into. 

Perhaps one day, I’ll be lucky enough to catch a Sour Brandy gig. Until then, I’ll keep “Unglory” cranked up to eleven, and dream my wildest cowboy dreams. 

TRACKLISTING:
01. W.O.R.T.H
02. Flood
03. Unglory
04. Let It Die
05. Ground Me Down
06. My Last Stand
07. The Way of Nomad
08. Sharing My Disaster

LINE-UP:
Adrian Godoy – Vocals and Guitars
Luis Victor – Bass
Gustavo Gumerato – Drums

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Laura Barnes and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

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