Vertebra The Same Review
Vertebra
The Same
Xtreem Music
2025
Madrid Spain’s Xtreem Music has been churning out metal of all subgenres since 1990. One of their latest is on display here in Vertebra’s The Same.
Vertebra has an interesting story. They actually formed in the southern part of Brazil in 1994, but this is their first official full length! After releasing some demos and being intensely active for a few years, in 1996 it was determined they’d go on hiatus due to playing extreme metal being practically subversive at the time in their corner of the world as well as adulthood and a lack of infrastructure for death metal in Porto Alegra. Basically, life and other stuff happened, it tends to get the best of a lot of great bands. Thus, Vertebra was dormant for quite a long while. Then the pandemic hit and founding guitarist/vocalist Arildo Leal felt the need to get Vertebra rolling again, started writing, and new material began to take shape and that leads us to now.
The Same was recorded at Undercave Studios, Aleph Studios and finished at Tiago Studios. The band chose to produce it themselves and I have to say, they did a fine job. Every instrument cuts through the mix and can be heard clearly. I'm especially fond of the guitar and drum sounds achieved here. They are crisp and articulate with the right amount of bite and bottom end. There isn't an ounce of mud to be heard so it makes the entire listening experience very digestible. What also makes this album (11 songs in total) interesting is that it's a concept album that focuses on repetitive social patterns, modern alienation, and the inner struggle for individual autonomy and critical thinking. This is thinking man’s death metal, and a welcome respite from the blood, fire, death and gore themes typically showcased in this genre.
Musically and structurally these songs fall firmly in what I would safely call a hybrid of mostly technical death metal, thrash and some traditional heavy metal. There are plenty of full throttle moments (Architecture of Perspective) and they also know when to slow things down and inject some melody and twin guitar harmonies (Eyes). The title track is absolutely a standout and is easily the catchiest of the bunch right behind the second track, “Behavior in the Eyes” which starts melodically then bursts headlong into a Human inspired verse full of start stop picking patterns and brutish chugs. The track listing is worth mentioning as no two songs sound overly similar yet flow seamlessly into one another.
If you are a fan of the more technical side of early 90’s Death, Kreator (especially vocally), and the ethereal weirdness of Atheist and the melodic musings of later Carcass then you really can't go wrong by giving The Same a listen. Then, listen to it again. Catchy, memorable and well thought out death metal like this deserves repeated listens. Why yes, I think I will…
~TB