The most satisfying thing a blogger can do is premiere a new track from one of his or her favorite bands, and today it is my pleasure to bring you an exclusive new song from Portugal’s groove/death metal behemoth Colosso. This is one of the first bands I discovered on BandCamp eight years ago, one that has consistently been releasing great music starting with their debut Abrasive Peace, up to the fourth full-length to be released this February on Transcending Obscurity records, titled Apocalypse.

(It didn’t feel right cropping the gorgeous artwork by Phlegeton Art Studio, so there it is in full.)

Colosso is the project of mastermind Max Tomé (interview), who sometimes performs all the functions as a one-man artist and sometimes employs a full backing band. Aside from that signature guitar tone and haunting ambiance, you don’t know what you’re going to get with each new release. Abrasive Peace was an industrial-tinged death metal album that sounded similar to a Gojira/Meshuggah hybrid drenched in Strapping Young Lad-style keyboards. His sophomore release Obnoxious was a lot heavier, having traded in some of the melody and speed for crushing dread and brutality. Rebirth (premiere) is, as the title suggests, the work of a man who went back to being a one-man project. It was eerie, doomy, and a lot more atmospheric. Apocalypse is shaping up to be a return-to-form, an album that sounds like it could be a direct follow-up to the original sound displayed on Abrasive Peace (considered his best work by some). Today I am showcasing the third track, “Death”:

Kunal from Transcending Obscurity describes the album as such:

Based on the concept of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, founding member Max Tomé has recruited different vocalists for each song to give them their own identity and it helps that they’re reputed figures in the Portuguese underground namely—Guilherme Henriques of Oak and Gaerea, Diogo Santana of Analepsy, and Sérgio Afonso of Bleeding Display. Furthermore, to lend a human element to this futuristic album, Robin Stone of Norse has taken over the drumming duties, with Alexandre Ribeiro of Grog fulfilling the bass responsibilities, while Max Tomé does the rest…

My excitement level is currently at a 10. The songs released so far are all phenomenal, and while my favorite disc of his is Obnoxious, I cannot complain about having what is essentially a sequel to Abrasive Peace. This album is chock full of down-tuned death metal riffs with a scattering of pick scrapes, eerie guitar leads, double bass, and tons of ethereal samples. The music is simultaneously melodic and brutal, catchy but also heavy as heck. It might be cliche to make this claim, but I think we will be hearing Colosso’s best work to date.

Apocalypse will be released on February 14th, 2020 on everyone’s favorite metal label, Transcending Obscurity. There are some pretty sweet bundles too, including a CD box set with lots of cool extras. Perhaps if enough people voice interest, a vinyl release will be made available? Fingers are crossed. The BandCamp page lets you listen to two more songs (“Pestilence” and “War”) plus each of his previous albums as well as a a few EPs and singles. (Max also offers a Backstage Pass for super-fans that includes several members-only releases including a Slayer cover and an instrumental-only version of Abrasive Peace.)

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