Ação Libertária - Cavalo de Tróia (2013) - Here comes the honest punk attitude - 70% (30/06/13)

Acao Libertaria is a thrash metal band from Natal, Brazil that mixes energizing punk and even hardcore influences into its raw sound. The tracks on the band’s first full length release “Cavalo De Troia” are short, sharp and take no prisoners. All songs are sung in Portuguese and if you take a close look on the lyrics of the angry “Do You Speak English?”, you might understand why the Brazilians try to honor their language and culture instead of the world's first language.

In general, the lyrics on this release are more important than the music itself that doesn’t vary very much as it remains always fast and simplistic but never too dumb. These musicians still have their skills as one can hear in the closing “Acreditar E Agir” that has an almost groove metal orientated middle part with a strong bass guitar work but this album is probably rather for those who care more about lyrics than music.

The lyrics treat a lot of controversial socio-political topics in modern society. Almost everybody and everything gets criticized in the powerful anthem “Nova Ordem Mundial”: Bilderbergs, FEMA, G8, the Illuminati, the Ku Klux Klan, Monsanto, multinational enterprises, the Rockefeller family, Skull and Bones, Uncle Sam, the United Nations and Zionists. The message of the band gets quite clear in the title track “Cavalo De Troia” when the main singer shouts out loud that one should stay true to the ideals and spread anarchy, destruction and rebellion. During the choruses, the singer gets the yelling support of the other band members when several vocals kick in. At the same time, the band underlines that one has to be intellectual and tolerant to criticize others as they tell us in “Justiceiros do Underground”.

In the end, if you are a metal fan who has sympathies for the punk genre in terms of attitude, art, lyrics, music and style, you should check out the debut release of Acao Libertaria. If you care for honest, pitiless and sweating old school thrash metal, you should also give this band from the Brazilian underground a couple of spins. Those who look for technically stunning arrangements or original song writing should look elsewhere.

For what it is, “Cavalo De Troia” is though a hell of a fun ride and a rather energizing record without unnecessary lengths. I will certainly give this record a few spins from time to time because of its raw energy, the not always intelligent but honest lyrics and the true punk attitude that so many modern punk bands have already lost a long time ago.

Originally written for The Metal Observer