Valium - Pesadelo Real: Anthology 1986-89
This is the second release of the Lusitanian Metal Classix Series brought to you in conjunction with two Portuguese record labels, that features unknown Portuguese metal bands brought back to life from the 80’s, or rather gives the re-release treatment to rarely available music that is considered worthy of mention in the modern metal market. Valium formed in 1982 and this CD features songs recorded in demo form from 86-89 as the title suggests. Valium are stated as being in tune with the likes of Mercyful Fate, Manowar and of course Iron Maiden and this CD does not disappoint. One of the real plus points of this release is the inclusion of the bands biography in both English and Portuguese, along with photos from their career.
Stand out tunes include ‘Pesadelo Real’, ‘A Noite’ and ‘Anjos’. The style reminds me of a mix of German and Scandinavian metal in the 80’s, whilst you can hear the influence of the three bands mentioned earlier, this comes from the arrangement style rather than the vocal delivery, which in this case is strong, but non comprehensible for me as I don’t speak Portuguese. It’s sad really, because there are a lot of these bands around from this era who had great music but limited themselves worldwide by not singing in English. But you can sing along, so you never know, I may be fluent at some point in the future!
By the time we get to the last track ‘Perfelcao’ (recorded in 1988), it is clear that they were influenced by the bursting to the seams American heavy metal scene, as this track is much more “commercial” for want of a better word, although the band still never sold out, but you definitely hear more of a melodic stance. This was one of the reasons why the band changed its name to Casablanca and continued to record up until 1993. However, this is the Valium material alone.
All in all, it may be rough and raw, but the music is pretty good, I don’t understand the lyrics as they are in their native tongue; however, this is a classic metal release worthy of your hard earned cash. It just goes to prove, that there was a plethora of proper metal bands around before the age of easy access internet searches, it’s cool, it cult, its metal! Keep an eye out for more of these releases coming at you in the near future.
Stand out tunes include ‘Pesadelo Real’, ‘A Noite’ and ‘Anjos’. The style reminds me of a mix of German and Scandinavian metal in the 80’s, whilst you can hear the influence of the three bands mentioned earlier, this comes from the arrangement style rather than the vocal delivery, which in this case is strong, but non comprehensible for me as I don’t speak Portuguese. It’s sad really, because there are a lot of these bands around from this era who had great music but limited themselves worldwide by not singing in English. But you can sing along, so you never know, I may be fluent at some point in the future!
By the time we get to the last track ‘Perfelcao’ (recorded in 1988), it is clear that they were influenced by the bursting to the seams American heavy metal scene, as this track is much more “commercial” for want of a better word, although the band still never sold out, but you definitely hear more of a melodic stance. This was one of the reasons why the band changed its name to Casablanca and continued to record up until 1993. However, this is the Valium material alone.
All in all, it may be rough and raw, but the music is pretty good, I don’t understand the lyrics as they are in their native tongue; however, this is a classic metal release worthy of your hard earned cash. It just goes to prove, that there was a plethora of proper metal bands around before the age of easy access internet searches, it’s cool, it cult, its metal! Keep an eye out for more of these releases coming at you in the near future.
- Crepúsculo (May 1986)
- Anjos (November 1985)
- A Noite (May 1986)
- Pesadelo Real (May 1986)
- Quem (December 1986 – January 1987)
- Belo E Feio (October 1987)
- A Demanda (July & August 1986)
- Perfeição (April 1988)
