Independent Release
Review by Alysha Hayden
“SAMCA” is the debut album for black/death/thrash metal band Sanctus Nosferatu. Hailing from Portugal, Sanctus Nosferatu (loosely translated as Holy Vampire) are vocally led by the versatile Camila Morticia. In short, I absolutely loved “SAMCA”. The nine track album thoroughly entertained my darkened soul from beginning to end bringing my love of gothic fantasy themes to life. From track one, “Astarteia” I was sucked deep into the darkness of their sound. Camila’s vocals switched from guttural to angelic with impressive ease in this song, showcasing her pure talent. “Spiritus Magnus” has great energy and reminded me a little of something legends Metallica would have written with the opening guitar set cracking heavily before Sanctus Nosferatu delved into a more black metal sound. This track pays homage to an Ouija board (“Spiritus Magnus”) carved from wood, generally square in shape with brass corners. The board is read using a spirit bell and planchette and is quite the collector’s item. “Cannibalize Corpse” shows just how well this band can own the thrash metal genre while maintaining a consistent tone for the overall album. “Darvulia’s Apprentice” is inspired by the accused witch, Anna Darvulia. Anna was a major assistant in the crimes committed by The Blood Countess, Elizabeth Bathory in the 16th century in Hungary. Anna was accused of kidnapping children and bringing them to countess to be bitten, drained or tortured for her pleasure and beauty routines. “Nosferatu Jihad” translates loosely to “Vampire War” and this track is another perfect combination of Camila’s guttural/angelic vocals conjuring up images of all kinds of horrors in the listeners mind. The acoustic verse mid track switches up the tone of the song and delivers a nice contrast to a complex composition. “Reflection” is a short song to close off “SAMCA” with a purely acoustic sound that might seem out of place at first but really acts as a palete cleanser for your ears like that satisfying soft thump you receive when you close a hard cover book after finishing the last page of the story, leaving you to reminisce on the experience and journey the artist took you on. “SAMCA” is an inspiring debut into the death/black/thrash metal genres for Sanctus Nosferatu. I highly recommend adding this album to your regular playlist, I certainly have.
Review – 90/100
Tracklist
- Astarteia
- Spiritus Magnus
- The Prophecy of Shackles
- Cannibalize Corpse
- Darvulia’s Apprentice
- Impregnated Dark Soul
- Nosferatu Jihad
- Revelation
- Reflection
Line Up
- Camila Morticia – Vocals
- Nélson Félix – Guitar
- Hélder Andrade – Guitars
- Nuno Terceirence – Bass
- Nuno Costa – Drums