Arani - Raoni... Armados na honra, guerreiros da terra!

Artist: Arani 

Album: Raoni... Armados na horna, guereiros da terra! 

Label: Barleycorn Produções

Year: 2016 

Country: Brazil 

Genre: Pagan Black Metal

Arani are a one-woman pagan black metal band from Natal, Rio De Grande de Norte, Brazil. This is their debut demo. Their name translates roughly to "furious time" in the Tupi-Guarani language. Based on the demo's subtitle, which translates to "Armed in honor, warriors of the land!", I'm guessing the main title Raoni is a reference to Raoni Metuktire, a famous environmentalist and chief of the Kayapo people, native to regions now know as Pará and Mato Grosso in Brazil.

The demo begins with the sound of birds chirping before a mystical synth melody is introduced, later joined by acoustic guitar plucking and chanted vocals, setting the atmosphere for this journey through the Amazon. Musically the band takes influence from the pagan strain of black metal, with mid-tempo melodic riffing of a valiant nature, chanted vocals, and heavy use of synthesizer being the stand-out characteristics of their sound. Arani goes the extra mile to immerse the listener into a heroic journey forests of the Amazon, from the hooting of owls sampled throughout the track "Reína", the panflute used on "Ataendy Aíba", and the galloping of horses sampled on "Antes Do Fim". Overall this is an excellent pagan black metal demo, and I hope we hear more material from Arani in the future.  

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Eltun - 1553

Artist: Eltun 

Album: 1553

 Label: Self-Released

Year: 2016 

Country: Chile 

Genre: Black Metal

Eltun are a pagan/black metal band from Santiago, Chile. The band take their name for the word "cemetery" in the Mapudungun, the indigenous language of the Mapuche people, native to the southern region of Chile. 1553 is their sophomore release. The EP is inspired by the first wave of the Arauco War, where the warriors Caupolicán and Lautaro led the Mapuche to victory against Spanish colonizer Pedro de Valdivia. Sonically, the band takes inspiration from Scandinavian bands, adapting the classic cold sounds of the north to the frigid winters of the Andes Mountains. Songs like "Bajan Con Antorchas" also incorporates the trompe, a traditional Mapuche jaw harp. This is music that is battle ready and aims for glory, with the band incapsulating the valiant spirit of their Mapuche ancestors and delivering power pagan black metal marching towards victory.

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