Portuguese post-doom act art in a class of their own and have certainly graduated to a higher level with their excellent new release, Sangue Cassia. Their previous record was my introduction into their wonderfully cinematic and Gothic doom-y post-metal, though I felt like Semente was dragged down by the feeling that it was merely haunting background music to an eerie horror movie. That definitely isn’t the case here, as Sinistro showcase their impressive between-albums growth. Sangue Cassia is expressive, chilling, and filled with hair-raising moments that grab the listener by the throat.
Sure, Sinistro’s auditory playbook is marked by the otherworldly sense of cinematic scope and a strong utilization of space and ambiance, but there’s a strengthening of purpose and a much heavier emphasis on, well, being heavy. Vocalist Patricia Andrade’s gorgeous mix of eroticism and eerie is at its best here, and it evokes a strong sense of a Gothic chiller of the highest order. These are highly expressive songs that evoke a wide range of emotion, even more diverse than Sinistro’s past works – look to the efficient accessibility of “Petalas” for example. Even at its most funereal, there’s a haunting beauty at work here.
The album is a tad overlong, and the two bonus tracks don’t help that feeling; however, despite embracing their grandest aspirations, Sinistro are a much punchier and more powerful beast on this incredible album. Sangue Cassia is certainly an experience, drawing from the Gothic beauty of classic doom, but few can match Sinistro’s ability to be chillingly evocative. This is a big step up for a band who was already impressive.
