Band:	Bríi
Album:	Corpos Transparentes
Style:	Ambient black metal
Release date:	May 13, 2022
A review by:	RaduP

01. Corpos Transparentes

Corpos Transparentes makes it hard to believe that there was a time where it wasn't obvious that one-man bands Bríi and Kaatayra were actually the same one-man.

It might be because Caio Lemos used the "Serafim" alias for Bríi, which is why you'll find that both or our previous reviews of the other two Bríi albums were written while under the belief that these were two separate acts by two separate but equally remarkable Brazilian musicians. The revelation that Caio Lemos is Serafim made so much sense, because what are the odds of two distinct people would revolutionize black metal in pretty similar but distinct enough ways in the same country in the same year? Sure, Kaatayra debuted a year earlier, but 2020 was the year that both of them broke into cult stardom, and the way Bríi merged black metal with ambient and electronica while Kaatayra made black metal feel like the Brazilian jungle was completely new.

2021 saw both Bríi and Kaatayra evolving the sound further than just merely polishing their experiments, especially as Kaatayra's Inpariquipê relinquished a lot of the black elements for something more minimalistic. A lot of Kaatayra's black metal side is instead reflected on Bríi's Corpos Transparentes. The electronics do make sure that this still remains mostly in Bríi territories, but the way the black metal flows in that ethereal vibe is unmistakably the same as Kaatayra's usual modus operandi, effectively further blurring the line between the two projects. Ironically, there's sections of Corpos Transparentes that feel more like a Kaatayra than Inpariquipê was.

But then come sections blending black metal and drum and bass. The way the project mixes black metal, psychedelia, ambient, and electronica has always been eclectic and a fun exercise in seeing how many genres can be names as influences. Psybient, atmospheric drum & bass, minimal techno, space rock, breakbeat, tribal ambient, avant-folk and so on. Some are more isolated than others, with some sections that are pure d&b, others where the black metal is more prominent, others that feel more dark prog rock inspired. There's a tangible classical influence as well in the choral sounds of the synths and the strong reliance on piano melodies, ensuring that the album continuously flows through various sections each offering something unique in its combinations of sounds.

And as far as the sounds go, it sounds about as ethereal and overwhelming as it can be, combining the Kaatayra signature with the beautiful piano melodies, the drum & bass integration, and the spacey synths being the album's most defining characteristics. The drumming is still a bit over reliant on blasting, but the blasting is still sounds thoroughly unique and hypnotic. The one track approach isn't that different from Sem Propósito's two track approach, but it is Caio's longest track, and with how many sounds are packed into this one, also the most ambitious. Sometimes more is more.