Kaatayra - Só quem viu o relâmpago à sua direita sabe (2020)^{Release ID: 21872}

So it's the last week of November, which means that the most stressful month of the year for a music critic is almost here; where we have to start compiling our best of the year lists, while still listening to any leftover projects from the year that we may have missed, as well as keeping our ear to the ground for a surprise December list breaker. I'm using this opportunity to catch up before becoming overwhelmed in the coming weeks.

So this record from Brazilian Atmo-Black metal band Kaatayra has been looming around my recommended playlist for a good while and has been making some sizeable waves since its release in April. Out of curiosity I gave it a spin and what I found was a very fresh and great interpretation of folkened black metal.

I was not ready for acoustic guitars to carry the majority of the riffing weight. It was immensely satisfying and it opened the gateway for prominent synth background and a fruitful bass, even if it does lack independence. It almost reminded me of the softer moments from Agalloch records like The Mantle and Ashes Against The Grain, which is the highest of compliments. The alternating clean/harsh vocals sound wonderful and it all comes together to create song structures and forms that sound wonderful. The opening track "Chama Terra, Chama Chuva" sounds gorgeous, while the closer, "Bom Retorno (De Volta às Origens)" ends the album with slow, melancholic synths, building intensity into the harsher screams and blast beats, before coming back down for a very sultry, yet uncomfortable conclusion.

The two middle songs are very good as well, but they do seem to meander a bit too long for my liking. As a result, the journey from start to finish of this album is immensely pleasant, but it is easy to lose track of time. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but many of the melodic ideas do tend to blend together. So it isn't the good kind of time wasting. But even that still doesn't hold this album back from being really great. Apparently this is Kaatayra's first of two albums they released this year? I'm going to have to check out  Toda História pela Frente as well.

Lush Cultural Expression

Atmospheric Black Metal, as shown by the original innovators, is a freezing and bleak world to inhabit. Whether it's Burzum, Blut Aus Nord, or Paysage D'Hiver, themes and thick atmospheres of snow covered forests lit by the beaming moonlight are all too common and somewhat played out by now, considering fans of the genre have been trudging through the same fresh snow for almost 30 years now. Although Burzum is the only act technically from Scandinavia, Atmospheric Black Metal tends to be very rooted in giving the listener a glimpse into the musician's natural surroundings and what they personally draw from that, hence all the nighttime strolls through blizzards and evergreen trees. This style has rubbed off on plenty of modern bands regardless of where they're from, but projects like Kaatayra continue to keep the genre grounded by demonstrating their homes and personal connections to their own distinct surroundings. I think that personal attachment is what makes certain Atmospheric Black Metal albums insanely compelling and Só quem viu o relâmpago à sua direita sabe is a perfect example of what bringing one's own heritage into their music can do.

Kaatayra is a one man project out of Brazil that was able to captivate me with a pair of releases in 2020 that remain as some of the most memorable Atmospheric Black Metal I've heard. The sole member Caio Lemos doesn't have too much information about the project apart from a few interviews as well as no physical merchandise, which is an absolute shame because I'd be preordering a vinyl of this in a heartbeat, but the music itself and what little I do know paints a more than captivating picture. What initially drew me to this album is the fact that it uses exclusively acoustic guitar for its riffing, but stays firmly within the confines of the Atmospheric Black Metal genre with an obviously heavy folk leaning. This album has a sound that I simply haven't heard before and while when explained sounds like a gimmick, the sounds and melodies that accompany the acoustic base are insanely genuine and build an atmosphere that hasn't been explored all that much in the cold, dark realms of Atmospheric Black Metal. 

Kaatayra is able to create warm, lavish atmospheres that paint pictures of tropical trees dripping from the steady rainfall of a muggy, humid day. It's able to contrast perfectly with the frozen, grinding howls of more traditional Atmospheric Black Metal in a way where Lemos is able to convey a version of Atmospheric Black Metal that hails from his country, and I think that's incredibly powerful. While only consisting of four songs, Só quem viu o relâmpago à sua direita sabe is able to fully realize its theme and transports the listener to a balmy uneasiness that was incredibly thought provoking for me. The split between monotone clean vocals and pushed-back Black Metal screams is a nice contrast that isn't overdone and while the pacing of the album can be a bit meandering, I find myself getting lost in it every time. Although there are blast beats being the acoustic riffing and synths it never sticks out enough to be harsh, creating a more comfortable atmosphere that gets fully realized in the sometimes lengthy synth excursions or acoustic solos. There's just the right amount of different instruments and sounds to keep the listener surprised, like the horns towards the middle of the closing track "Bom Retorno" or the smooth transitions into more tribal percussion. The layering of the synth behind everything to create a consistent atmosphere is also superb, making this album one of the most consistent I've heard in the Atmospheric Black Metal genre. 

Uniqueness can go a long way, but when that uniqueness comes from a genuine place, I think you get something special, and that's absolutely what Kaatayra was able to pull off with his pair of 2020 albums. I still think very highly of Toda História pela Frente and while it shares some atmospheric aspects that make this album so compelling, having an entirely acoustic Atmospheric Black Metal album that is able to work so well is a feat that can't go unnoticed. The riffing feels like it should be warm and comforting, but there are painful roots that stretch beneath. This dichotomy is what makes this release fully its own and I commend Kaatayra for creating an album that wears its heritage proudly but achingly on its sleeve. Atmospheric Black Metal is a genre that, for the most part, is experienced rather than listened to, which makes it difficult to come to any sort of consensus considering each album has the potential to be immensely personal for any listener. However, I think the trademark of fantastic Atmospheric Black Metal is the care and attention taken to make sure that its message is received by as many people as possible. This acoustic journey through the oppressive but beautiful jungle absolutely takes those steps and if you want to hear a more traditional and more metal package definitely check out Toda História pela Frente, but Só quem viu o relâmpago à sua direita sabe continues to be a unique glimpse into a different world of Atmospheric Black Metal.