Portuguese band Alkhemia has honed a thrilling gothic metal sound ritual in which they aim to transport us to an immersive and cathartic universe with music they describe as “passionate, dramatic and deep.”
The Lisbon band formed in 2019 out of the ashes of a former project, from which they wanted to go in another direction. Now formed of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Rita Quaresma, lead guitarist André Patricio, bassist Mário Carvalho and drummer Hugo Lopes, the quartet picked up the songs they’d written and created their debut album Eridian, which gave birth to the motto “Nothing is lost, all is transformed.”
On the sound they’ve crafted, Rita told us: “I would say it’s a mix between mysticism, occult and intense sounds. Aiming to send a message and make people feel connected to the deepest roots of themselves.”
Our latest taste of this is the superb 27, which was released last month. It opens up with light guitars joined by Rita’s laid-back vocals. Heavier guitars kick in as the atmosphere darkens, and the pace drops into light guitars and mellow high-pitched vocals that fade away. Suddenly, it bursts into a powerful chorus led by captivating vocals, stabbing guitars and a darting little lick that continue into repeats of “Nowhere to hide.” The guitars continue and a little solo takes over, then drops back into the light guitar and echoey vocals. Heavier chords come in and spoken vocals creep in under Rita’s delicious lead vocals, setting up a big final chorus.
On the track, Rita said: “27 was one of the most ambitious releases yet, we are very happy with all the feedback and love that we are receiving from it. I can say that it truly shows who we are, not just as musicians but as people. For the ones that don’t know our work and this track specifically, I can say that they can expect a journey to see through the eyes of a child, full of emotion, pain and freedom.”
As mentioned, the new track follows on from Alkhemia’s 2022 debut album Eridian, which is chocked full of dark and engaging metal goodness. That includes the wild ride of opening track Impulsive Fire, the very cool Ly, the slow-building but massive Clepsida, a personal favourite No Fim De Mundo, and 0, which comes to a dramatic conclusion.
The Alkhemia sound is influenced by a wide range of sounds and genres. Rita’s biggest influence is Evanescence, along with In this Moment, Motionless in White, Marilyn Manson, Iron Maiden. André is big into Siouxsie and the Banshees, Mário loves Led Zeppelin, Supertramp, Kate Bush and Beatles, and Hugo’s influences include Godsmack, Peter Murphy, Alice in Chains, Candlebox, Moonspell, Guano Apes and Danzig.
And on what inspires them to write music, Rita explains: “I tend to write about feelings and loss, in a sort of catharsis of my demons. I explore feelings that I am feeling, or stories that can finally have a voice, stories of pain, release, hope, love. Everything around me inspires me. When creating a composition, we all get together and just play. The theme can come from anyone, but normally, I bring lyrics and we compose together.”
Allhemia plan to release another song and music video in the next few months and have more recording on the horizon. They are booking in gigs through the remainder of the year with a major goal to play outside of Portugal in the next year or so.
You can follow Alkhemia on Facebook and Instagram, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp Apple Music and YouTube.
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