Band:	Tod Huetet Uebel
Album:	Malícia
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	January 2015

01. XIII
02. I
03. XII
04. XX VIII XXI
05. IX
06. III
07. V

This free bandcamp release from Portugal is a combination of all the right parts of its influences. The visceral guitar work of Deathspell Omega mixed with a more emotive approach of many modern black metal groups and even a slight post-metal addition to the melodicism helps Tod Huetet Uebel conjure a seemingly unique identity while still sounding familiar in many ways.

The most striking aspect about Malicia is the incredible production provided by member Daniel Coelho. It seems the man has no official experience outside of his work with this group, and that alone is an incredible feat. This release feels as raw as a modern black metal group should be, yet each and every instrument breathes through the mix, finding clarity and sticking out. Many albums with a similarly chaotic approach will fall short in the mixing, with little in the way of individual instrument identity, and will wind up sounding like a festering heap of noise. Coelho has apparently found a perfect balance of rough edge to listenability, which separates the group from other novice acts right away.

The songwriting wavers between equally impressive quality and slightly uninspired passages that feel like they are only present to add air-time. This is most notable around half-way through the second track, when the same riff seems to chug along with little dynamic and virtually no variation until the tension finally breaks. This happens occasionally throughout the album, though it never ruins the release. Regardless it should be noted that not all is perfect on Malicia.

The general trend of each song is for partially dissonant and frighteningly chaotic instrumentation to slowly develop into a more melodic and highly accessible melding of black and post metal. This left me constantly on the edge of my seat, waiting for the inevitable climax to enter and send me into a state of bliss and pure enjoyment. I often found myself only listening through certain songs for the aforementioned climaxes, however whether or not this is a bad thing I am not sure. The vocals added to the dense instrumentation excellently, being buried slightly in the mix though almost constantly wailing out, as if trying to break through and be free of the suffocatingly thick riffs and drumming.

Even if unintentional, there appears to have been great attention to detail on this album, and despite the small list of shortcomings, everything about this release screams "potential" for the band's future. The songwriting may not really be all that unique, but the overarching atmosphere of the release seems to take on its own personality, which only makes me more excited about how the group will develop over the years.