Crazy-ass death-metal for the good of all beings
The Firstborn's "The Unclenching of Fists" CD

WELL, IT HAD TO HAPPEN.

From bemoaning the slaughter of Native Americans to pillaging the gory details in medical textbooks for lyrical inspiration; from decrying nuclear atrocities to synopsizing horror films over blasting musical assaults; from detailing the suicidal wishes of a limbless soldier to reveling in murderous fantasy, metal music's fascination with death (especially manifest in death-metal; duh) has pretty much left no area of the subject untouched.

So it was just a matter of time before some band, somewhere, got to the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Thankfully, that band is Portugal's The Firstborn. Their album, The Unclenching of Fists, is first-rate, crazy-ass death-metal "dedicated to," of all things, "the good of all beings."

The Unclenching of Fists

As the CD's liner notes say: "The concept behind The Unclenching of Fists was devised by [vocalist] Bruno Fernandes as a journey towards enlightenment, beyond space, time, and flesh [ . . . ] The lyrical component was [. . . ] inspired by the Bardo Thodol, the Tibetan 'Book of the Dead' and a limited amount of personal experience."

So how's it sound?

Well, if you don't like crazy-ass death-metal, you won't like The Unclenching of Fists, no matter how first-rate or well-intentioned it is. It's absolutely frenzied, complete with Cookie Monster vocals. (Though Fernandes does employ a few different approaches throughout the album.)

If you do like crazy-ass death-metal, then you're in for a treat. The music is heavy, experimental (employing occasional use of Asian instruments and also traditional Tibetan chanting), complex, and indeed quite crazy-ass. The Firstborn have delivered an album quite worthy of the genre. So no worries there. The drumming alone is incredible, but the album, musically, is about way more than any one player.

And what about the "journey towards enlightenment" aspect? Somehow, it works -- having both that oddly-formal way that death-metal lyrics have about them, and also an element of real inspiration and motivation to offer. Take these lyrics from the fourth track, "Path of the Mindwalker:"

Reborn . . .
Vaulting the waters of the vast oceans of pain
I embraced the Diamond Paths . . .
and elevated the Self.
I wander, solemn,
unrestrained by carnal bonds [ . . . ]
Discipline does convey transcendence
and with it the splendor of the unseen . . .
I stand, in defiance of death
upon this path

Of course, some of the appeal here is in the esoteric nature of the Tibetan approach to death and rebirth. For many of us, it's just not how we talk, much less how we think. And who knows if it's really how the members of The Firstborn think? (Interviews found on-line seem to suggest that they have a real fondness for the material on T.H.o.F., but whether or not that lapses into something more than fascination is hard to determine.)

It really doesn't matter. There's something sincere about this record, something beyond gimmickry. After all, if you want to make it really big in music, there are probably better ways than being a Portuguese Buddhist death-metal band, insincere or otherwise. American A&R reps are probably not clamoring to sign foreign metalheads who write songs about the destruction of "the three roots of ego (ignorance, passion, aggression)" or flowers falling "like rain / in compassionate warmth." Whatever; these guys rock.

To check out samples from The Unclenching of Fists: click here

To order directly (from Portugal, but it's quick):
http://www.equilibriummusic.com/dtltitle.php3?AlbumID=1912