### Perpetuum: Gradual decay of conscience

#### 22/06/10 || Altmer

What is the obsession with intro tracks these days? Everyone and their mom seems to have one, but seriously, when you think about it, what is the point? If it’s an intro, it can just as easily directly lead into the first song without taking up a separate track. It’s bullshit fodder, and something that needs to be abolished. Goddamn, intro tracks are stupid. Perpetuum from Chile (is this band still alive after the earthquake?) have one, and it’s not very good.

What comes after is also not very good, so I think we’re seeing a trend here. I don’t even know what to call this kind of stuff since it’s not really anything at all. It’s metal, sure, but it’s metal of the kind where you’d rather forget it existed. The band plays some form of melodic black/death metal with some slow doom moments, but in a way that makes you wonder why this band even exists at all. This music is basically just there. It’s like they got together, formed a band, wrote a metal album, just because they could. Well, it’s sounding all right, but is it any good? Nope.

Part of it is ruined by a screeching monkey (I think it’s a screeching monkey, can’t tell) that does some fantastically weak vocals. The low growls that work in unison with those absolutely hideous screams are just basically RAAAAAAAAAAAARGH RAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH RAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH. Seriously? What the fuck? Fucken shoot the vocalists. This is an example of how not to do vocals. Constipated motherfuckers… Get outta here, right now.

The music is no better. The production is retarded (the drums sound hideous, especially when he’s blasting), the guitar tone is fucken dreadfully weak, and you can hear the bass. Uh. The drummer blasts for half the album but he can’t really pull off a proper fucken blast, so it just sounds like he’s bashing his kit randomly. There are some neat melodic bits on the guitars, but for me to come back to this band because of those solos? Nah, no thanks. Plus points for being able to hear the bass though. Apparently the dude plays fretless too. Someone has talent in the band. Pity it’s the guy nobody cares about.

This is fourth-rate metal, and that’s if you’re optimistic to the point where you think a) world peace will be achieved within 20 years b) global warming will be put a stop to by activist governments and c) homosexuality will be decriminalized on every square acre of the globe, including the fact that lovers of the penis will be able to say yes in front of Catholic priests (who, of course, secretly approve anyways) all over the globe. You know what, guys? No fucken thanks, fuck back off to Chile already and come back when you have learned to write something more than musuck. Also, in the future, don’t rip off Opeth so blatantly on “Through the Path of Eternity”. Uncool.

Recommendation: A listening session with Lady Gaga’s “Telephone” on repeat eternally, to learn how to write interesting music, followed by severe torture.

- Information
- Released: 2009
- Label: Australis Records
- Website: Perpetuum MySpace
- Band
- Cristobal Gonzalez: vocals, guitar
- Juan Ortiz: fretless bass
- Carlos Fuentes: drums
- Diego Ilabaca: guitars
- Alejandro Ruiz: vocals

- Tracklist
- 01. Arquetipos
- 02. Monoliths
- 03. Unmerciful Despair
- 04. Into the Deepest Darkness
- 05. Stigmata
- 06. Scourging the Foe
- 07. Through the Path of Eternity
- 08. Grunts of the Shoggoths
- 09. Psicosis