Critic's evaluation
Just over a year after the release of Tempo #LivreParaTodos, Bayside Kings have returned to the studio and are now announcing new material. Entitled Dualidade #LivreParaTodos, the material consists of the quartet's fourth EP and seventh studio product.
A high-pitched, but piercing and flaming roar appears in the background like the vociferation of a marginal creature. As soon as it is uttered, the soundtrack is filled with harshness and an imposing explosion that, made in unison and with the synchrony of David Gonzalez's drums and Matheus Santacruz's guitar, exudes an uncontrollable rage. Immersed in this feeling mixed with incredulity, Milton Aguiar appears with his harsh, high-pitched vocals under an impatient lyrical interpretation. An impetus that represents the absence of belonging, of direction. Alienation, individuality, loneliness. (Des)Obedecer is the orphanhood of political representation, bordering on censorship.
The use of double pedals is vast, making Bayside Kings' hardcore even more intense, raw and aggressive. It's curious to note that, before a desperate explosion and immersed in an irresistible density of adrenaline, Entre A Guerra E A Paz manages to exude dark touches in its melody. From the moment the sound straddles the fine line between death metal and hardcore thrasher, Entre A Guerra E A Paz exudes exquisite hatred, anger and absurdity, while its plot presents an individual imprisoned in the manipulative hypnosis of a system that limits freedom, making its citizens live a routine governed by extreme rigidity. It's a choice between yes and no, conformism and revolt, the comfort zone and the uncertainty of tomorrow in an environment sweating for equality.
The acidity persists, but here with very subtle hints of what could be a velvety melody. Emanuel Filgueira's bass is heard with gentle clarity in the first introductory moments, from the moment his bulbous sonar rises, delivering a body quickly lost to the rhythmic-melodic harshness. Becoming, like Entre A Guerra E A Paz, a highly acidic and intense product, the song manages to expel the anguish of life's learnings through pain, but at the same time brings the lightness and comfort of when life, too, can be joyful, serene and pleasant. Even so, Na Dor / O Amor is perhaps Aguiar's most piercing and sharp interpretation, with vociferous, dangerous and provocative aggression. It is also in this song that Filgueira highlights the stridency of the bass as another ingredient to be included in the melodic-dissonant-explosive melting pot of Na Dor/ O Amor.
Rougher, cruder, more dangerous. Darker. With dense energies that make thrash metal even more evident than that of Entre A Guerra E A Paz, the melody still manages to flirt with metalcore from its embryonically dramatic melodic base. Maintaining the latent acidity and pressure of Bayside Kings, Pare(Ser) is an electric song that highlights some of the psychological deficiencies of consumer culture. Insecurity disguised as social adequacy in terms of clothing, the need for belonging and attention, as well as the lack of self-knowledge, a quality capable of giving the individual a great sense of self-confidence, are factors that make consumer culture a universe full of futility and existential emptiness as a way of filling certain and individual emotional gaps that human beings stubbornly refuse to admit to having.
It's an EP that retains the soul and essence of Bayside Kings. Raw, rough, raw, intense, but also melodic with notes of a possible explosion of drama, Dualidade #LivreParaTodos is the action of free will and the double possibility of horizons. It's where human beings have to find their way, but aware of the consequences that their choices may have.
It's no wonder that between its four songs and just over seven minutes, the EP manages to be visceral, electric, intense and piercing, while exposing the emotional gaps in a futile society. What's more, between Aguiar's constant and dangerous ranting, the EP pokes the viewer in the eye with its announcements that, subtle or not, emphasize responsibility for the actions taken during life.
It is true, however, that Dualidade #LivreParaTodos still maintains the lyrical signature of the Santos quartet by bringing up important political themes, such as censorship and tyranny in (Des)Obedecer. That's why, in order to listen to this material, even fans of the band need a good stomach and interpretation skills to identify what each song really wants to communicate and instigate.
That's how, once again allied with Estúdio TOTH in the mixing function, Bayside Kings have promoted a clear mix of hardcore, death metal and metalcore in a way that brings out the rawness, the harshness, the acidity. But also despair, anguish and drama as a way of drawing listeners to themselves and making them understand their socio-political views. Even so, the only element that suffered slightly was the bass, which was only heard comfortably during Na Dor/ O Amor.
Closing the technical scope of Dualidade #LivreParaTodos is the cover art. Signed by Wagner Ramari, it features the two symbol characters of the Bayside Kings, the skeleton-man and the angel of death, in an urban setting whose illustrations place the listener in the center of São Paulo. The drawing of the old Banespa building even helps with this location and also reinforces the group's rejection of the system's attitudes and monetary equality.
Released on 11/10/2023 via Repente Records, Dualidade #LivreParaTodos reinforces the image of the Bayside Kings in their take on political and social issues. With its rawness and bluntness, the EP manages to combine rejection and incitement to reflection in a way that fosters a deep understanding that life has two sides and that the individual has to bear the burden of choosing the path to follow.
