Thanks to three demos released between 1992 and 1994, The Cross are considered, at least chronologically, the first doom band from Brazil. This fact certainly is historically relevant, while it has somewhat less from the point of view of the eventual imprimatur on the sound of those who came after, in light of such a limited production that was not followed up until two decades later, when in 2015 vocalist and founder Eduardo “Slayer” Mota resurrected his old project, releasing an ep (which largely reprised tracks from the old demos) followed by a self-titled full length and other releases of reduced minute length, before this latest work entitled Act II: Walls of the Forgotten. The doom of The Cross blends a rather classic structure with a certain aggressiveness stemming from Eduardo’s vocal style as well as from the heaviness of the riffing; moreover, a number of guest vocalists such as the three Maltese Albert Bell (a historic name in the Mediterranean doom scene), Leo Stivala and Steve Lombardo, Moroccan Achraf Loudiy and, above all, the iconic Aaron Stainthorpe, who gives his unmistakable recitative in the sullen Walls Of The Forgotten, contribute to the album’s success. The sound opens up slightly in a melodic direction when it is the clean vocals of the guests that take center stage (Beyond the Eyes of Seth with Loudiy and Umbrial with the island trio), while the sorrowful and dramatic pacing of the concluding Ouroboros is truly remarkable. The return of The Cross is under the banner of genuine, down-to-earth doom, capable of satisfying both admirers of the classic strand and those who prefer its darker, more extreme textures.

2022 – Pitch Black Records