Band:	Sinistro
Album:	Sangue Cássia
Style:	Post-metal
Release date:	January 05, 2018
A review by:	RaduP

01. Cosmos Controle
02. Lótus
03. Pétalas
04. Vento Sul
05. Abismo
06. Nuvem
07. Gardénia
08. Cravo Carne
09. Ferida [Deluxe Edition bonus]
10. Nothing Scared [Paradise Lost cover] [Deluxe Edition bonus]

Sure, a doom metal album can be crushing, haunting, desolate, melancholic or harrowing, but can it be seductive? Let's find out!

Sinistro plays doom metal and it is female-fronted. Before assuming anything, this is not run-of-the-mill beauty-and-the-beast gothic doom or occult psychedelic or anything like that. Sinistro tune their sound in such a way that the music evokes atmospheres without being overly ambient, throw in some synths that mold in some trip-hop sensibilities (see "Nuvem") and, for the final and most flavourful ingredient, the voice of Patricia Andrade.

While the lyrics are sung in Portuguese and I'm sure people who speak it can make the most of it, her voice sings them with such emotion that they become universally emotive, conveying both impeding doom and seductive eroticism, akin to a succubus. Indeed, the charming vocal performance mixed with the instrumentation creates such immersive atmospheres that work both for the longer cuts without feeling overly stretched and on the shorter ones without feeling rushed.

While at certain points, the instrumentation does take the backseat to let Andade's lustrous vocals shine, they are in no way neglected. From the lush electronics and synths to crushing riffs, sometimes moments apart as in the transition between "Nuvem" and "Gardenia", Sinistro polished their songwriting in order to make Sangue Cássia run over an hour without filling at all tiring and recycled, also taking such risks as stuffing all of the album between the two longest songs, the 11-minute opener and the 10-minute closer, unless you're also counting the two bonus tracks. One of those is an interesting Paradise Lost cover, also the only time we hear Andade sing in English.

Sangue Cássia runs on similar ground to their previous effort, Semente, but don't make the mistake of saying it's just a rehash. While still maintaining the same elements, Sinistro worked on their craft and improved in all the possible ways. The vocals merge with the instrumentals better, they are more emotive, the electronics are more immersive, the instrumentals are more complex.

And to finally answer the initial question, perhaps it would be best to let it seduce you too.