Three Portuguese Bands

If your goal is to spend the weekend relaxing and listening to good music, then this post could be for you.

Meet three Portuguese bands with different sounds, from synth-pop to alternative rock. All of them have part of their report in English, which makes internationalization easier.

THE GIFT

They are a band from Alcobaça, a city in central Portugal, with a synth-pop style and a sound that mixes different musical genres, always with unique arrangements and a peculiar voice. Pop, rock, jazz and lounge, with more atmospheric sounds, are styles that this band explores in a very original way.

They began their journey in 1996 and released their first album two years later. In total, they have released 8 albums: Vinyl (1998), Film (2001), AM-FM (2004), Explode (2011), Primavera (2012), 20 (2015), Altar (2017) and Verão (2019). As a result of these albums, 17 singles have been released.

Their repertoire is mainly sung in English, but they also have many songs in Portuguese.

📸 Photographs taken during a concert in Coimbra in 2015.

The video I'm sharing is a live performance at London's Bush Hall with Brian Eno, producer of the album “Altar”, from which the song Love Without Violins is taken. A song that deals with the theme of love, expectations and disappointments in a relationship.

MOONSPELL

Iconic gothic and dark metal band, considered one of the most prestigious influencers in the history of Portuguese metal. Formed in 1992 in Brandoa - Almada.

Their work is marked by a fusion of genres, ranging from black metal to gothic and doom. They create dark, intense and sometimes melancholic atmospheres.

They sing in English, but have many hits in Portuguese where their lyrics are enriched with lyrical poems.

Since their formation, which has included several musicians, they have released 13 albums: Wolfheart (1995), Irreligious (1996), Sin/Pecado (1998), The Butterfly Effect (1999), Darkness and Hope (2001), The Antidote (2003), Memorial (2006), Under Satanæ (2007), Night Eternal (2008), Alpha Noir/Omega White (2012), Extinct (2015), 1755 (2017) and Hermitage (2021).

A curiosity, which became a coincidence in this publication, Moonspell's lead singer, Fernando Ribeiro, is married to Sónia Tavares - lead singer of The Gift.

📸 Photo credit: Stéphane Gallay

BLASTED MECHANISM

The most different band in the Portuguese musical spectrum, an icon of alternative rock.

They stand out on the music scene for their extravagant image, with props of beings from another world, and for an electrifying music characterized by the combination of world music, inserting traditional elements from various countries. They are also known for creating and building some of the instruments they use. Calachacra and Bambuleco are examples of this.

They recently celebrated 30 years of career. They have released 9 albums: Plasma (1999), Mix 00 (2000), Namaste (2003), Avatara (2005), Sound in Light (2007), Mind At Large (2009), Blasted Generation (2012), Egotronic (2015) and New Militia (Live at NOS Alive'18). His discography also includes 9 singles and 2 EPs.

📸 Photo credit: deezer.com

✍️ My native language is Portuguese. The translation was done through DeepL.com (free version).