Review Date: October 2020
Released: 2020, Brutal Records
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: RC2000
Hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, thrashers Valvera have released their debut album CYCLE OF DISASTER. Right away it sounds like these guys have been playing for a while; the skill level here isn’t your average debut from a band.
The opening track “Nothing Left To Burn” really showcases what the band is all about. There’s a pummeling drum melody backed up with a strong bass line, and some creative guitar solos. If you’re a fan of double-bass drumming and multiple structure changes within songs then these guys have you covered.
The press release included a really bizarre description of the vocal delivery. I thought about including it here so that you could make your own interpretation of it, but decided against it; I think it’s more of a translation issue from the band’s native Portuguese. I’d sum it up by saying vocalist/guitarist Glauber Barreto has a style similar to that of Perseverance-era Jamey Jasta – a ‘shout’ kind of delivery. The two sound nothing alike, however, and there are no motivational, self-help lyrics to be found here. The title track “Cycle of Disaster” is a good example.
“Glow of Death” is an interesting track about a real-life manmade catastrophe. Apparently in the Brazilian city of Goiania some hospital equipment containing radioactive material was abandoned, and local scrappers taking the machine apart unknowingly caused a disaster. I don’t remember hearing about that in the U.S., but of course that was the pre-internet age. The theme of the song fits right in with the content of the album.
Cycle of Disaster is a very solid release, recommended for those who like their thrash with a little Lamb of God and Hatebreed mixed in for brutality.
Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvf1wAv1vn8
Track Listing:
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Nothing Left To Burn
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Cycle Of Disaster
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Glow Of Death
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The Damn Colony
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All Systems Fall
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Born On A Dead Planet
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O.S. 1977
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Fight For Your Life
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Bringer Of Evil