The Troops of Doom from Brazil is a relatively new band, but with at least one familiar face, namely Jairo T. who played in Sepultura for the first EP and album. Now some 30 years later, he formed a band to play music fairly close to the style of early Sepultura albeit not as chaotic as it was then. The went on some European tour during the festival season and made no less than 3 stops in the Netherlands.

A local band was opening called Suspect Hostile. That immediately hints at some Bolt Thrower. But that is quite far from what we get. It essential death metal with some hardcore vocals. And for that probably one of the dullest bands I have heard in a long time. There are no guitar melodies, no solos; all the riffs are quite standard, the drumming is simplistic and in the end all the songs sort of blur together as they sound pretty much the same.

The Canadian / French E-Force came as a support act on the tour. The band is formed by a former singer and bass player of Voivod. They played some Voivod songs of the era he was in that band too, plus some original songs. Most sounded quite unorthodox metal rooted perhaps in thrash, but doesn’t have the typical thrash riffs. Not really my thing but at least a lot more varied and entertaining than the opening act.

Then The Troops of Doom. Obviously named after the Sepultura song. They started with a song The Devil’s Tail of an EP from a while ago. Thrashy death metal the Brazilian way – never ground breaking but just well done. Obviously they were going to play a couple of Sepultura songs too. The intro of The Curse sounded over the PA followed by the Bestial Devastation. They fit right in with the original material which is kind of similar in style but is original and strong enough on its own merits. A furious Antichrist, and Morbid Visions were also on the set. The sort of title track of their 2nd album The Grotesque is similarly raging. A very cool band, only the singer just asks a little to often to scream, raise hands that it gets old quickly. They ended their set of course with the Eponymous The Troops of Doom. Pretty good good, really.