Concept albums are always a delicate matter. Less so the concept itself, but the execution. “Herakles / Melqart”, the second album by the Portuguese one-man band CAIXÃO, is about the ancient hero Heracles, a hero in Greek mythology. Melqart was the chief god of the Phoenician city of Tyre and was equated with that Greek hero. Heracles (or Hercules, in Roman mythology) had to perform twelve labors as a punishment and a path to redemption. And, unsurprisingly, the album also has twelve songs. Musically it is a blend of Black / Death Metal, with focus more on obscure and occult Black Metal in the vein of SARCOFAGO, MYSTIFIER or BEHERIT. Ritualistic, sometimes chaotic, but also with some slow moments. Reverbed vocals, from time to time more a whispering in the dark. Additionally, keyboards and occasionally Death Metal instead of Black Metal riffs. All in all a well-done mixture of the above mentioned bands, the record company nailed it with their promotional text. Regarding the sound, one could say it is raw, but still effective and powerful. Each aspect, namely theatrical, occult, ritualistic, violent, chaotic is present in every song. Intro, outro and the two instrumental interludes excepted. So, a good album for fans of the subgenre. The tricky question remains: where is the concept? When two of the twelve chapters of the Heracles saga are treated as intro / outro and another two as interludes, it feels somewhat unbalanced. To be honest, I would not necessarily have guessed this is a concept album on my own. But perhaps that is not so important for anyone who enjoys cultish, obscure Black Metal with a touch of Death Metal. Your journey into Greek mythology begins here: www.facebook.com/cavernaabismalrec