feature: brazil’s project black pantera is a pure alternative metal force of nature #soundcheck

It’s a bold statement to name your metal band Project Black Pantera, but this trio from Brazil makes bold statements as a matter of course. But rather than being a retread of one of the most beloved metal bands in history, Black Pantera (Portugese for Panther) adopts the radical politics and fury of it’s other non-musical namesake. Their people-powered rage explodes across 4 lean tracks, for some of the tightest alternative metal you’re likely to hear.

Words by Nathan Leigh, AFROPUNK Contributor

Frontman Charles Gama’s muscular riffs hail from the Motörhead / Bad Brains school of metal, where the line between it and punk rock is so thin as to be academic. “Execucão na Av 38” opens with a razor edged guitar that propels the song from punk verses into an epic breakdown. The band shifts gears on a dime, as comfortable at breakneck speeds as they are in more sludgy territory like the more classic alternative metal “Ressureição.”

On “Abre a roda e senta o Pé,” bassist Chaene da Gama takes the melody before the song erupts into the rare funk metal breakdown that’s not just cool in theory. The interplay between members makes the most of their minimal line-up. The band is all sheer force of nature, minimal destructive force. They make no time for Dimebag Darrel’s thrashier leads. It’s all grinding riffs and breakneck beats. “Eu Sei” is the one track to drop the tempos, but even then it’s merely down to heavy, giving Charles Gama the space to flex his chops in one of his only solos on record. There’s precious little of Pantera here, but no shortage of fierce riffs and driving rage.