Garoto Wolf Lutemkrat could outperform a full band of panda make up wearing fools any day of the week. After the record is done, he could still go and jog about a dozen laps around the Maracana stadium. The Last Survivor is his debut as monikered Lutemkrat and shows impressive talent in all fronts. Especially those that have to do with creating a cold atmosphere and one gear speed. That’s the greatest fault of this recording; it seems stuck in its one track battering pattern. That, my friends, may just be what happens when you refuse outside creative input. That’s not entirely negative though. At least The Last Survivor doesn’t veer off into pointless experimentation and out of character bizarre trips.

A song like “Vengeance” is mid tempo for Lutemkrat standards. It also shows a more controlled rock and roll delivery with memorable moments, but is ultimately rather safe. The tune is melodic, the riffage simple and stated. By the time the thundering opening of “Awaiting the Final Breath” makes an entrance, you’ll welcome back the constant beating from the first handful of songs.

The recording itself is a bit too polished to grant any descriptive word like ‘raw’ and ‘chaotic’ to it.  That may turn some people off. It left me a bit cold but on the same token it complements the artist’s winter-like fascination with lycanthropes.  Last time I checked there were no wolves in Brasil, but who cares! The day we accepted Bolivian bands playing authentic Norwegian black metal, it all stopped making sense.

The riffs are electric and there is nary a bit of fatness. The style grants it, that’s for sure. Wolf himself can write a nice riff that mixes speed with inviting melodies. There are also nice acoustic touches in the intro, during the end of “Awaiting the Final Breath” and all over “Journey Through Inner Landscapes”. If there is anything I admire is this guy’s ambition.  He doesn’t come short of anything. His vocals are like a cold breath on your neck. You felt it, you can almost be sure of that. What turned me off a bit was the drumming. It is suspiciously exact. Especially in parts where speed is maintained.

The Last Survivor is an impeccable record. That may not  always shape the best auditory experience, especially for those into chaotic messy black metal, but hell, this is one guy doing it all and coming off in better standing than most bands.

Rating:

|  4.5/5