Ignited – Cradle of the Wicked
Self-Released
Release Date: 27/10/23
Running Time: 40:15
Review by Simon Black
8/10
Brazil’s Ignited have been burning a very bright trail in a remarkably short time. Brazil is a strange market though, as Metal has a huge appeal over there (in places) but it’s a very self-contained world, with comparatively few acts breaking outside of the country, yet Ignited managed that with their very first album “Steelbound” back in 2019, despite the impact of the pandemic. These guys clearly know that success means not confining yourself to your domestic market, as this album was actually recorded in Sweden, and the band have been working with Global PR firms for a while, which really is a very sensible strategy, and shows a remarkably amount of professional foresight that so many independent acts rarely get, or get to understand too late. In fact, they have even gone so far as to relocate from Balneário Camboriú to Stockholm on a permanent basis…
The ten songs on here waste no time in getting to the point, and pack one hell of an effective forty minute punch, whilst still retaining enough flexibility in the arrangements not to get stale. At first listen this album really reminded me of “Jugulator” era Judas Priest, but with significantly better production. Vocally Denis Lima has exactly the sort of range and power that Ripper Owens possesses and is equally comfortable at either end of the quite considerable octaval range he possesses, with that uncanny ability to jump the octaves like hurdles within seconds when the intensity needs turning up. With only one guitar in the mix, they still manage a remarkably heavy sound, and it will be interesting to see how this will work live as the arrangements clearly demand two players, but Dalton Castro effortlessly delivers a restrained performance that hints that he’s probably pulling his punches and could shred with the best of them if required.
It’s the songs that really make this work for me. Musically some of this stuff is way more complex than it appears on the surface (hence the likely challenge of shifting this live without a click track), and the arrangements are well-crafted and avoid being too cliched whilst still nodding to the old school stylistically. Whilst missing a stand out ‘every man’ track, this is less of a problem for me, because the album is tightly reined in and a joy to listen to from start to finish, so screw you you impatient kids who can only cope with 30 second clips on social media platforms, because this album needs listening to. And again… And again… Musically this is solid straight ahead Heavy Metal of the style that never gets old when it’s delivered well and Ignited deliver Heavy Metal very well indeed.
Ignited – ‘Bloody Satisfied’
https://youtu.be/4FIFjxeSu5Y
TRACKLISTING:
01. Cradle of the Wicked
02. The Overflow
03. At the Damned’s Hall
04. Bloody Satisfied
05. Uncontrollable
06. The Sewer Lords
07. Life Goes By
08. Nightshift
09. Tearing Down the Walls
10. Abyss of Fear
LINE-UP:
Denis Lima – Vocals
Dalton Castro – Guitars
Martin Bellucci – Bass
Maurício Velasco – Drums
LINKS:
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