When it’s done right, there’s nothing that can compare to the old school of any given style in the world of metal. There are several reasons why it’s still such a pervasive force in the current climate that we’re lucky enough to find ourselves in with all sorts of different avenues and loads of innovation to be had all over the place in every style, but a band that can do something that’s more straightforward while still remaining engaging and gripping can conquer all who come before it. With just four tracks, Laracna may not be the faces of what it means to be old school nowadays but they’re certainly on the right track to make a real name for themselves doing so.

Even just trying to emulate the very sound of the old school or whichever branch of it that you pick is enough to bring forth a challenge that can seem all but daunting should you find yourself unprepared for the task ahead for not only is there the hurdle of not letting a modern mindset get in the way of changing that formula, but even the slightest deviation can make for a wildly different sound. Some, though, choose to embrace such slight deviations to make a sound that feels more of their own while still adhering to many of the ideals that make the old school such a treat to begin with, and that feels very much like what Laracna went for on their latest EP, “Nec Spe Nec Metu”. A straightforward creation with the smallest hints of technicality sprinkled in amongst an effort that’s as scathing as it is intrinsic in its deliveries, the power held within the EP is surprisingly unassuming for the punch that it packs without a shred of compromisation to be had for the entire runtime. This being the first piece of material that we’ve heard from Laracna after a hiatus that took another five years to produce material after that, I can only hope that the ball has really started rolling for this band since should “Nec Spe Nec Metu” be but the beginning for what this Brazilian act is capable of then I can only imagine what might occur when the name hones its craft into something exceptional and deadly.

Everything brought forth in “Nec Spe Nec Metu” is just what I could come to ask for from black metal that doesn’t aspire to be some grandiose vision of ferocity or occult grandeur but, simply, a testament for one’s passion for the genre as a whole with the resulting album nothing short of a rewarding listen that has more than enough to be had within its boundaries. Laracna surely has much more up its sleeves in way of surprises, and one can only hope that it won’t be too long before we here from the entity again.

LISTEN to “Nec Spe Nec Metu” on Bandcamp here.