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Hannibal Ad Portas

      
         
         
         
     
             
Lagrima is a heavy metal band from Lebanon, formed in 2003 releasing their debut album 'Hannibal Ad Portas' in 2012.    
             
Founded by multi-instrumentalist Tarek Yazbek, Lagrima incorporate elements of black, death and thrash metal into the bands soundscape, to make 'Hannibal Ad Portas' a very varied listen! Very varied indeed - the opening instrumental 'Prelude (...To The Gods Of War)' displays a mellowness and serenity not usually reserved for a black, death, or even a thrash metal album! But when album opener (proper) 'Serenade Upon Mount Aryx' explodes into life with one hell of a scary vocal growl, you know you're in black come death metal territory! The snappy, gut wrenching vocals would tear the throat to pieces of a regular Joe - so I'm not even going to try to sing along! Thunderous and raw, 'Serenade Upon Mount Aryx' is an immediate, sit up and be shocked opener, Lagrima forging ahead with more pace courtesy of the much harder hitting 'Conquest Of Iberia'. Mixing death and black metal together with a side of thrash metals power and pace, the band are widening their audience to new widths, an audience that spans a myriad of metal genres.    
             
Not wanting to be pigeon holed into just the one genre of metal, the Lebanese outfit continue their wide sonic assault with the slower paced 'Death Of The Father' - clocking in at over nine minutes in length! The longest song on 'Hannibal Ad Portas', 'Death Of The Father' slow burns into life with creepy, eerie vocals and an atmosphere that may cause some listeners to soil themselves! Marching on at a slow to mid tempo pace, the raw vocals are sharp, and may leave a tonne of cuts and bruises on many listeners! Many of the song titles on 'Hannibal Ad Portas' are of the longer length featuring intriguing word combinations - exactly what you'd expect from black metal! And as the album continues, it doesn't disappoint with regards to long titles - 'Arise And Arrest The Destiny Of Rome' containing the most words of any song (title) on offer! The snarling, growling, menacing vocals remain front and centre as 'Arise And Arrest The Destiny Of Rome' shows some bursts of speed, but for the most part remains in mid tempo mode.    
             
Now for those who know me and my musical preferences - traditional, power and thrash metal thank you very much - this album takes me outside of my "comfort" zone. For where I'm used to clean vocals, blistering guitar solo's, infectious melodies and choruses I can sing along to - 'Hannibal Ad Portas' has none of these! And even though it's not really for me, I can see (and hear) there's plenty on offer to attract every black and death metaller to Lagrima - the band marching on with the three minute instrumental 'Trepia Trazimian Cannie' that tries hard to deliver, but lacks creativity! 'Abhore The Antagonists' maintains the albums mind boggling array of metal styles, hitting hard with some bouts of oomph and blood curdling vocals. Bringing 'Hannibal Ad Portas' to a close, 'A Final Fight' maintains the previous songs thunderous oomph, hitting much harder than any other song on the album, and giving me one song that I could actually get in to! And lastly - sorry readers - the album finishes with the thirty second, nondescript instrumental 'Sealed With Poison'.    
             
Overall, good drumming, good vocals, slow and heavy, but the lack of guitar solos and melody is disappointing.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Lagrima    
             
             
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