Papangu is a progressive rock and avant-garde metal band formed in 2012 in João Pessoa, Brazil. Hailing from the easternmost point of the Americas, the group blends the texture of sludge metal with Brazilian syncopated rhythms, the traditional harmonies of Northeastern Brazil, and the experiments of jazz fusion and avant-metal. Their second album “Lampião Rei” will be released on September 6th, 2024. Recorded by 3x Latin Grammy-winning engineer Fernando Sanches and mixed by Berlin-based heavy psych expert Richard Behrens, Lampião Rei continues Papangu’s series of albums on the Cangaço movement that began with Holoceno, the band’s critically acclaimed 2021 debut. Now functioning as a sextet, with brothers Rodolfo and Pedro steering the songs into jazz-rock territory, and drummer Vitor — a forró percussionist and death metal expert by trade — grounding everything down with brute force and class, Papangu showcases their sophomore record with aplomb. Unlike the half-bedroom recording of Holoceno, most of Lampião Rei was recorded live in the studio as first takes. The result is Papangu’s own brew of colourful, sludgy zeuhl taken to a rolling boil, showing not only the high-octane intensity that brought them comparisons to King Crimson and Magma, but also proudly displaying their Brazilian heritage, with influences ranging from Hermeto Pascoal and Edu Lobo to Sepultura.
