Album & EP Reviews

Blackning – Awakening Rage

Blackning – Awakening Rage
Black Lion Records
Release Date: 28/07/2023 
Running Time: 41:56
Review by Victor Augusto 
9/10

If someday I become a father and my daughter or son asks me to tell them a story, I easily could pick up this story: One day, when I was a young adult, I went to a concert of a famous and veteran Brazilian Thrash Metal band called Korzus. I headbanged so insanely that one of their guitarists, Antonio Araujo, gave his guitar pick to me. I got so happy that I started to follow their work closely. Then I saw him talking about another Brazilian Thrash Metal band called Machinage and I became a fan of them too. Two years later, I went to see Machinage playing in a city called Santo André and guess who was there playing too? Blackning! Another band who made me love them at first listen.  

I am sure that my kid would be sleeping, completely bored, before I’d ended this story, but it was a real one. Another funny detail is that the band members of Blackning were part of other important bands in Brazil, like Woslom and Andralls. Maybe I am being silly to spend so much time on this, but look at how many important Brazilian bands I mentioned so far that were connected to each other. This is really what I love about being part of any Heavy Metal Scene, where you can discover bands every month after going to see one of them. These are just 5 bands that had a chance to tour out of the country and had great visibility in Brazil too!

But now to focus on Blackning’s new release. It is a new age for them after 9 years since their first release “Order of Chaos”, when they were just a trio. Now, they have one more guitarist in the line-up. Even though the hiatus of six years hit the band, it looks like it has been a good time for them to prepare and think about what they wanted to do here. It is the heaviest album so far, and the most mature too. The compositions are very concise. 

For those who have never heard of them, the first thing to get you nuts over their music is how much Exodus influenced them – and I mean Exodus when they had Rob Dukes on vocals. Mainly, the influence is heard in the heavy arrangement of the guitars and the insane and complex riffs. I am sure that Zozi Silveira is “guilty” of it, after becoming the second guitarist of Blackning. Cleber Orsioli (the vocalist/guitarist and founder member) is well known for the killer riffs he creates. I believe his chemistry with Zozi brought the band to another level. 

Let me not forget to highlight the amazing work of Ricardo Brigas on bass and how he sounds massively present among the wall of guitars. Renan Pigmew on drums also brings the cadence and speed that the compositions ask for. One great example is ‘Lamb To The Slaughter’, where he plays so fast and changes the cadence many times to fit his beats among the tons of riff changes and solos. Also in ‘Eye For An Eye’ he breaks the fast cadence to add a few drum fills that sound good with the riffs and melodies that appear in the song.

Speaking of solos, they are a great part of the Blackning identity. As far as I know, the band has always put out many short solos and ‘Never To Be Free’ demonstrates this perfectly. For me, this song is the one I would use to show who Blackning really are for a new listener. It is a short, fast and furious track! This new Blackning era with two guitars opened new possibilities, as seen in the very heavy and cadenced song ‘Insanity In Power’. For guitar lovers like me, I really recommend this one. 

I am very happy with Blackning’s new release and their return after a few years away due to the pandemic and a few problems they had in their personal lives. As a fan, and also as a friend, I feel that they returned with full power like a phoenix resurrecting from the ashes. This album is like screaming to get the pain out of your chest. As the title album suggests, it represents their rage exploding after all they’ve lived through.

Welcome back, Blackning!

Lamb To The Slaughter’ Official Video 

TRACKLISTING:
01. Violate
02. Greed And Lies
03. Disfigured Trust
04. Lamb To The Slaughter
05. Never To Be Free
06. Insanity In Power
07. Lex Talionis
08. Vengeance Is Mine
09. Eye For An Eye
10. Unnamed Reality
11. Lies That Blind

LINE-UP:
Cleber Orsioli – Vocals and Guitars
Zozi Silveira – Guitars
Ricardo Brigas – Bass
Renan Pigmew – Drums

LINKS:


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