As anyone who follows metal knows, Brazil has produced some great bands and has an active metal scene.  After an extended hiatus since 2012, Prelúdio X from Recife, Brazil have released Triunfo da Vida which is actually re-recorded tracks from a 2009 project Origem with their new lineup.

I do question by bands feel the need for intro tracks that are not full on band instrumentals, especially on an ep, but  Triunfo Da Vida opens up with Gênesis, a moody atmospheric keyboard piece that has some waves crashing or thunder in the background.  The full band portion of the ep starts with “Origem” and from the opening riff and keyboards establishes this as being within power metal.  From a production standpoint, everything is clear but the Portuguese vocals a bit muted.  Within power metal, guitars and vocals are really the components of the sound that stand out and in this case, the guitars are more prominent due to the quieter mix on the vocals.  Musically, “Origem” has a nice flow as one would expect in a power metal song and there are some brief guitar flourishes that add interesting elements,  but they do seem a bit abrupt and short.

“Rei dos Judeus” starts out with chiming of bells joined by some heavy guitar chords left to ring out over some chant-like vocals in the background.  Cristiano’s bass work gets a brief spotlight in the beginning of the song and the song shifts into a slower pace, a bit like a Queensryche  track including some of Leandro’s vocals sounding a bit like Geoff Tate.  Like “Origem” this song also features trade off solos between guitar and keyboards and again here, they just don’t seem to work.   For the overall sound of Prelúdio X, I feel they would be better served without the keyboard solos. “Precisoso Sangue” starts out as if it was going to be a fast instrumental but abruptly switches into piano and female operatic vocals for a brief stint before the band rejoins. Piano and bass come to the front of the mix for a bit but then fade back when the female vocals return during a faster portion of the song.  The keyboards here, taking a better, more supporting role than in earlier songs and the guitars taking more extended solo run makes this track one of the best on the ep and the closing solo piano is a great way to end the song.

The ep closes with “Triunfo da Vida” (Triumph of Life) which begins very stripped down with acoustic guitar and clean singing backed by some atmospheric keyboards.  The overall melody has a bit of a European folk feel to it, which is an interesting touch and a relatively quiet way to end the ep.

Prelúdio X show a lot of potential in lots of different parts of Triunfo da Vida and I’m a bit surprised to learn that these are re-recordings of older tracks as the songs seem a bit raw and almost unfinished for a band that has been around since 2009.

Rating: 6/10

Written by John Jackson

Tracklist
1. Gênesis
2. Origem
3. Rei dos Judeus
4. Precioso Sangue feat. Gleice Vieira (Lilium Vitae)
5. Triunfo da Vida

Band Members
Leandro Silva – Vocal
Gerson Souza – Guitar
Elieser Suweydes – Guitar
Cristiano dos Santos – Bass
Jorgeano Abreu – Keyboards
Tarcílio Soares – Drums

Release Date: Feb. 2019

Record Label: Independent

Weblinks: Facebook / Instagram

Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission

Video for  ‘Precioso Sangue’