As the world turns its eye towards many things unnecessary and unworthy, a true cult artifact rises from the São Paulo crypts courtesy of Caverna Abismal Records. This definitive reissue of PENTACROSTIC’s 1992 debut, “The Pain Tears”, is more than a simple CD drop, it is a vital excavation of the raw, suffocating atmosphere that defined the most obscure corners of the South American scene. The release comes with the 10 Death Doom numbers from the debut and also includes their “Agony Of Gods” demo, which was released at the same year, taking the numbers from 11-14 and a VULCANO cover is included as well as bonus. The core ten tracks are a monument to mid-tempo, doom-tinged Death Metal. Tracks like ‘Splendorous Adornment’ and the immense ‘Welcome To The Suffering’ move with the inescapable dread of a swamp creature emerging from black ooze. The production here is something to cherish and hail. It’s thick, bass heavy and cavernous, far removed from the sterile sounds emerging from Europe at the time. This is filth and heaviness with focus. The vocal of Marcello Sanctum is phenomenal in its guttural depth, pairing perfectly with the simplistic yet profoundly heavy riffing of Nechron and Flagellum. Unlike the hyper speed mania of some contemporaries, these manic Brazilians harnessed slow, churning entropy, as if some outlandish force that bound to make any lifeform feeling the sheer helplessness and overpowering force. ‘Contemplation Of Agony (Your Home)’, ‘Perpetual Darkness’ and ‘Worlds In Corrosion’ are like those centerpieces, a harrowing journey through crushing rhythms and those chilling, minimal keyboard textures that only enhance the morbidity. By the time the title track fades out in a slow acoustic come electric instrumental death dirge, the original vision is complete, which left with the feeling of listening to a classic work of primitive, occult excellence. When you think the record is over, it’s not. The release then falls into their acclaimed demo “Agony Of Gods”. This four track demo plus the fatally surprising VULCANO cover ‘Fallen Angel’ reveals a rawer, arguably more feral side of the band. And that’s evident in the atmosphere of ‘Some Enigmatic Faces Reflected In The Mirror’ and ‘The Resting Of The Mist On The Cold Lake’. Though demo, they feel less produced and organic, sounding immediately more ’zine tapetrader’ approved. No doubt, this material is essential for understanding the band’s immediate mindset leading up to the album and how these Brazilian maniacs envisioned and forged their Death Doom style, in a time when the classic era was just over before falling into the current time. The title track itself is a furious reminder that for all their Doom inclinations, and surely PENTACROSTIC could still conjure the chaos of their Brazilian forefathers. Then at the gallows at the end of this release, bursts out the VULCANO cover ‘Fallen Angel’. This proved to be a sheer tribute to these elder gods. It serves as a direct, defiant acknowledgment of the Brazilian come South American lineage they stemmed from, closing the 62-minute runtime with a violent salute to the cult. So, enough with the words, as for anyone obsessed with the unholy nexus of Death and Doom, and the primal chaos of the early South American sound, this reissue is indispensable and surely an awakening of something precious and historic. To find out more about the band and label, please visit www.instagram.com/pentacrostic or www.facebook.com/cavernaabismalrec.