BrooklynVegan is currently hosting an exclusive premiere of “The Monarch” from Brazilian death metal unit THE TROOPS OF DOOM. Featuring a guest vocal appearance by Possessed’s Jeff Becerra, the track comes off the band’s The Absence Of Light EP set for release September 17th.
Made up of guitarist Jairo “Tormentor” Guedz, a former member of Sepultura’s original lineup playing author and co-author to classic Sep albums Bestial Devastation and Morbid Visions, alongside bassist/vocalist Alex Kafer (Enterro, Explicit Hate, ex-Necromancer), drummer Alexandre Oliveira (Southern Blacklist, Raising Conviction), and guitarist Marcelo Vasco (Patria, Mysteriis, acclaimed graphic artist for the likes of Slayer, Kreator, Machine Head, Soulfly, and Hatebreed), THE TROOPS OF DOOM revisits the essence of ‘80s-style death metal, exploring a more primitive sound that takes listeners back to that era, while remaining fresh, genuine, and ferociously heavy.
Offers Guedz of the track, “‘The Monarch’ is the title of the second Act of a conceptual work that ended up becoming The Absence Of Light EP. In this song we are proud and pleased to have Jeff Becerra from Possessed sharing the vocals with Alex. Jeff was amazing, very friendly, and professional, accepting our invitation without thinking twice! This filled me with pride and I started to admire even more the work of this living legend, one of the inventors of death metal we play with THE TROOPS OF DOOM and obviously a huge influence for me since I was a boy, when I started to play guitar for Sepultura back in the early ’80s!
“In ‘The Monarch,’ the absence of freedom added to the power of the church over the people and transforms religiosity into political power, guiding the blind and the faithful according to its strict rules, limiting their actions through fear and its fictitious demons. The absolute power of the Holy Church ruling the world through lies written in holy books and bloodshed, welcome to the complete absence of light!”
Adds BrooklynVegan, “like the songs on the last EP, it taps directly into that proto-death style that Guedz and Becerra were both architects of in a way that still sounds thrilling today.”
Stream THE TROOPS OF DOOM’s “The Monarch” at BrooklynVegan HERE.
A conceptual work inspired by the book Leviathan, from 17th century English philosopher Thomas Hobbes, The Absence Of Light was mixed and mastered by Øystein G. Brun (Borknagar) at Crosound Studio in Norway. In addition to Becerra’s appearance on “The Monarch,” the EP features Lars Nedland of Borknagar, Solefald, and White Void on bass on the first three tracks, and Dave Deville conducting the orchestral introduction as well as three bonus tracks: a version of Sepultura classic “Antichrist” mixed by Leonardo Pagani at LP Mobile Studio in Brazil and the demo versions of “The Devil’s Tail” and “The Monarch.” It all comes housed in the arresting cover art of Brazilian painter Maramgoni. With the world still uncertain in these pandemic times and the band being forced to postpone their European tour — and consequently their full album — to 2022, The Absence Of Light serves a bridge piece to the impending LP.
The Absence Of Light will be released digitally via Nuclear Blast digital subsidiary Blood Blast with preorders available at THIS LOCATION. The EP will be available on CD via Metalized Records in Mexico and the US HERE, Hellven Records in Europe, HERE, and Voice Music in Brazil HERE, on vinyl via Hellven Records in Europe HERE, and on cassette via Repulsive Echo Records in Europe HERE.
The Absence Of Light EP Track Listing:
1. Introduction – The Absence Of Light
2. Act I – The Devil’s Tail
3. Act II – The Monarch feat. Jeff Becerra (Possessed)
Bonus Tracks:
4. Antichrist (Sepultura)
5. The Devil’s Tail (Demo Version)
6. The Monarch (Demo Version)
THE TROOPS OF DOOM released their debut EP, The Rise Of Heresy, worldwide in October 2020. Despite its brevity, the offering reaped critical accolades from fans and media alike with Decibel Magazine hailing the band’s distinctly, “mean, mid-paced death metal that cycles between foreboding and downright groovy,” adding, “when the grooves hit, it’s hard not to bang your head.” Bravewords lauded, “a demonic thrash attack with killer riffing and bombastic drum work,” while BrooklynVegan noted, “The band intentionally hearken back to the evil, thrashy, proto-death metal sounds of early Sepultura (and to Sepultura’s own influences from back then, like Celtic Frost), and [they] do it with extreme conviction.”
THE TROOPS OF DOOM:
Jairo “Tormentor” Guedz – guitar
Alex Kafer – bass, vocals
Marcelo Vasco – guitar
Alexandre Oliveira – drums
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