“ratos_de_porao”
Ratos De Porão
Carniceria Tropical
Alternative Tentacles
Ah, another old-time Brainhammer! standard is back with another abusive onslaught of metallic nastiness. Being a bit more on the punk end of the metal spectrum, Brazil’s Ratos De Porão were the perfect complement to a few bars of Sepultura. Many moons ago I delighted that they’d covered the Ramones’ “Commando” in the typical thickwhisky-baritone I’ve come to associate the South American punks with. Now it seems, as least since I’ve last heard them, that the Ratos have ventured into the realm of near-black metal. The sound is grittier, guttural and actually scary, as though the album was recorded in a dungeon somewhere deep in the pits of São Paulo.
My Portuguese is non-existent, but dig some of these song titles, “Altitude Zero,” “Crocodila,” “Estilo De Vida Miserável,” and “Ideologic Police.” That last one pretty much sums up what Ratos De Porão stand for, which is an amalgam of punk anarchy and serious dislike/distrust of an oppressive government we daffy Americans can’t even fathom. Tropical paradise or not, I have a feeling that Brazil leaves a lot to be desired unless you’re on top of the heap. At least it provides lots of inspiration for abusive punk rock… http://www.ratos.com.br
Alternative Tentacles, P.O. Box 419092, San Francisco, CA 94141
