MetaL MetaL
Metá Metá
2012
Rankings
Why This Album Matters
MetaL MetaL, Metá Metá's second album and debut with the Mais Um Discos label, is a work that launches from ancient Orixá chants into a visceral and innovative fusion. The work is a grimy cauldron of psychedelic samba, distorted jazz, and afro-punk, standing out for its creative deconstruction of traditional Brazilian musical elements. Driven by Juçara Marçal's powerful voice, the album explodes with an energy reminiscent of the fury of bands like The Stooges and Sonic Youth, combined with the spirituality of John Coltrane and Sun Ra. The band proposes chaotic and vibrant music, moving between jazz improvisations and flirtations with punk, in a sound that redefines contemporary Brazilian music.
Context
Before MetaL MetaL, Metá Metá had already released a self-titled album in 2011, which explored the classic afro-samba style, but already ventured into free jazz and rock. MetaL MetaL therefore marks a significant expansion in the trio's sound.
Recording
The album MetaL MetaL, originally released in Brazil in 2012 and internationally in 2014, expanded the sound of the main trio (Juçara Marçal, Kiko Dinucci, and Thiago França) with the addition of Marcelo Cabral on bass, Sergio Machado on drums, and Samba Sam on percussion. These inclusions resulted in a more electric, dense, and heavy sound. To further enrich the sound, the legendary Nigerian Afrobeat drummer, Tony Allen, made a special appearance on two album tracks. The production sought to combine the spiritual and rhythmic foundations of ancient Candomblé chants with a blend of psychedelic samba, distorted jazz, and afro-punk.
Songs
MetaL MetaL presents a deep immersion into Afro-Brazilian and spiritual roots, with the trio invoking the spirit of the Orixás on various tracks, such as "Exu", "Oyá", "Logun", and "Orunmilá". Although all members follow Candomblé, the band uses the Orixá theme as a structure to tell their stories, rather than to preach specific beliefs. The album begins with "Exu", described as a high-pitched and gloomy religious chant, alternating with songs dedicated to the gods. "Logun", for example, is an almost eight-minute composition that starts with Kiko Dinucci's 'crooked' guitar, incorporates Rodrigo Campos' cavaquinho, and culminates in an almost ritualistic experience with vocal choirs and an overlay of brass, beats, and synthetic noises.
Legacy
MetaL MetaL solidified Metá Metá as one of the most prestigious and representative groups in the contemporary Brazilian music scene. The album was nominated in 2013 at the Prêmio Multishow de Música Brasileira in the categories of Best Album, Version of the Year, and Shared Music, winning in the latter. International repercussions were also notable, with drummer Tony Allen describing the band as "inventors for the new music scene in Brazil". Specialist critics praised the album's balance between avant-garde experimentation and the ability to create memorable 'hooks' and danceable rhythms. MetaL MetaL's sonic structure would not only influence Metá Metá's future releases but also a series of other works that would emerge in the São Paulo scene in subsequent years.
Tracks
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Books
Analyses
Crítica | Metá Metá: "MetaL MetaL" - Música Instantânea
musicainstantanea.com.br
Born from the encounter between the metallic blast escaping Thiago França's saxophone and Kiko Dinucci's strident guitars, MetaL MetaL (2012), Metá Metá's second studio album, finds in the creative deconstruction of elements the basis for a work that seems larger and more complex with each new listen.
Metá Metá - MetaL MetaL (2012) | cenaindie
cenaindie.com
Recorded in 2012, the album flirts with punk, metal, noise, free jazz, African, Latin and Brazilian music, creating a unique and visceral sound. The album questions the concept of contemporary rock, seeking the genre's attitude and energy without limiting itself to its worn-out formulas.
Hominis Canidae: Metá Metá - MetaL MetaL (2012)
hominiscanidae.org
In the second half of the album, the record took on a denser form; beyond the voice, guitar and sax trio, new instruments emerged: drums (Sergio Machado) and Percussion (Samba Sam).
Músicas Prafins: Metal Metal (2012) - Metá Metá - Blogger
musicasprafins.blogspot.com
Recorded in June 2012, at Estúdio El Rocha in São Paulo, by Fernando Sanches, MetaL MetaL flirts with punk, metal, noise, free jazz, African, Latin, Brazilian music.
Metá Metá: MetaL MetaL - Fita Bruta
fitabruta.com.br
"MetaL MetaL" perhaps cannot be rigidly divided in two, as was done on the trio's first album. Thiago França, however, is the one who most explores the new context in which he finds himself.
