Angel Distress: Ligna In Inani | The Conjunction Between Beauty And Darkness
(2025 – Extreme Records)
Beauty and loveliness also have their dark side, but that doesn’t stop them from shining. That’s the first thing that comes to mind when I hear an album like “Ligna In Inani,” the first album by Brazilian band Angel Distress, which makes a grand entrance with its debut record.
First of all, it should be mentioned that Angel Distress is a band that has been around since 2020, and so far they have only released two songs in digital single format. So “Ligna In Inani” would be their first full-length album and their first venture into physical format.
Their style varies between Gothic Doom and some traces of Death Metal, very much in the style of Paramaecium, Tristania, etc., but with a greater emphasis on the symphonic and on melodies intertwined with typical Death Metal bursts and a calm, melancholic, and beautifully dark musical atmosphere.
An interesting fact is that “Ligna In Inani” is a Latin phrase that roughly translates to “Firewood in the Void”; but if there is one thing that does not fall into the void, it is Angel Distress, quite the contrary.
There seem to be no limits for Angel Distress musically. Long songs, varied compositions, different moods even within the same song, etc. All delivered in a general line that oscillates between the powerful guttural vocals of Charles Douglas and the angelic vocals of Daniela Alvares, added to the powerful orchestral and musical base that really shines and evokes more than one feeling.
“Ligna In Inani” is not an album with many tracks, there are only 7 songs, but each one is longer than average. “Nightfall” is the first track, starting with an interesting guitar riff, guttural vocals, and a truly powerful orchestration. With an almost gothic atmosphere and an almost endless strumming of classical guitars and an orchestral intro, it is the beginning of “Embraced To The Thoughts,” one of the most beautiful pieces on the album. This is where Angel Distress shows its best side, with different moods and varied tempos.
In “The Memories,” things seem much more melodic and full of feeling, with a tempo slow enough to be typical of doom metal. Meanwhile, “Dum Spiro Spero” becomes much more symphonic and ethereal, so to speak. Keyboards, ornamental sounds, and the guest appearance of Melancton Samengaleff (formerly of Nadarkhani and Cerimonial Sacred) result in a slow, calm sound with strong guitars and beautiful orchestrations.
There are more guests out there. Gustavo Vilela takes care of the drums on “Embraced To The Thoughts” and Gabz does his thing on bass on “To Die Alone.”
Continuing with the album, “Descent To The Tomb” deepens Angel Distress’s proposal, in a combination of extreme metal and melancholy, expressed in the deepest way possible, musically speaking, of course. “No Hope In Me” maintains the album’s tone, with a song tinged with drama and melancholy, featuring the keyboard at the forefront and guitar orchestrations that adorn an obvious lament.
As a grand finale, we find “To Die Alone,” another beautiful piece, orchestral in its beauty, with an extended intro that offers us different moments and situations, with variations in its compositional structure. A true gem to put the finishing touch on a great album by Angel Distress.
Of the latest things I’ve heard, I believe, without fear of contradiction, that “Ligna In Inani” must be one of the best albums that has come into my hands. It’s not just the neatness, the excellence in the composition and execution of each song. It’s also the aesthetics made song, which means that Angel Distress is never a “log in the void” (as the album title suggests).
Then there’s the musical side. It seems incredible that the band’s foundation is just two guitars, bass, drums, and keyboard. The studio sound production seems to be heading in the right direction, and it is worth noting that the band manages to sound natural, without too much artificial “makeup.” Of course, we must bear in mind that Angel Distress took a long time to make “Ligna In Inani”; it took them no less than three years to record this album. The time was well worth it. The final sound, produced by Rubem Gontijo’s mixing and mastering, is clear, strong, powerful, but above all, free of any unnatural ornamental artifice. Angel Distress sounds like it does in reality.
As for the artwork, it could be described as modest, considering that this is an independent and limited production (in fact, our CD is number 000096!). The black-and-white cover is in line with the idea behind this production, and inside, despite the booklet being rather sparse, we find the lyrics to the songs and a full-color photograph, similar to the one on the back cover, which contrasts nicely with the album cover. Let’s remember that “Ligna In Inani” currently has a limited edition compact disc, but it also has a digital edition. It’s well worth a vinyl edition, this material deserves it!
In short, “Ligna In Inani” is an album that is well worth it. For those who like the genre, this work is not to be missed, and for those who are not used to delving into the shadows and darkness of Doom, this is a good opportunity to get closer to material that is really worth its weight.
As usual, below we will leave a lyric video of one of the songs from this great album. Specifically, the song “Nightfall,” so you can get an idea of what we are talking about. We also leave you with the website of the Brazilian label “Extreme Records,” where you can purchase this material, and the band’s social media, where you can find out all the latest news about this interesting project that is Angel Distress…
https://www.extremerecords.com.br
https://www.instagram.com/angeldistressband
