[INCREDIBLE album artwork provided by Juliana Lapa]
Two things I’ve written over the course of the last two months have inspired me to wander in here today to discuss the third full-length from Brazilian… ‘progressive music band’ Papangu. Before we jump into particulars, I say ‘progressive music band’ because despite the fact that Papangu displays elements of progressive rock, progressive metal or even progressive ciranda, to label the collective as any of one of those is a bit of misnomer because, in true progressive music fashion, Papangu appear to care about boundaries or boxes about as much as one of those Japanese grinding noise J-pop black metal chamber orchestras whose members are all feral cats.
Wait… Cats love boxes.
Okay, for the sake of neatness, let’s just go ahead and throw Papangu under the incredibly broad ‘progressive rock’ umbrella, given that the ‘progressive music’ tag feels too generic for a band this kaleidoscopic, and also because riffin’ & wailin’ guitars are tattooed up and down the sleeves of this baby. (Not a literal baby. Calm down.)
Right, back to the two articles that lead me here.
FIRST: The recent Diamonds & Rust jump back in time that explored the wildly adventurous Praxis debut Transmutation, wherein I recounted how an early job at a new / used record store was responsible for opening the doors to a literal world of music previously (mostly) unchartered for me. That job was over three decades ago (gasp), and I have spent the years since continuing my extensive exploration into as many conceivable corners of Earth’s musical ventures as time allows.
But the particulars? Forró, sertanejo, ciranda and MPB, for example? It’s all over Brazil, I’m likely not (yet) versed enough to differentiate between them, and Panagu’s incorporation of such elements across their work over the years has inspired me to dig deeper, which is always appreciated when you’re a music obsessive with an eternal fire blazing in the furnace. Celestial of course continues the band’s directive to underscore the music at the heart of northeastern Brazil, but it does so with an even more streamlined interpretation compared to earlier works that absolutely feels as if you’re catching them ripping through these songs at a lively backyard hangout session.
I’m still getting to know the record, but right off the bat I’d say it feels as if they’re continuing to push the metal a little further into the backdrop, particularly when compared to the debut, resulting in something that feels even more aligned with the current throwback heavy prog scene. Sure, we could easily spend a week spotlighting an avalanche of ‘70s inspirations, but Celestial seems most fit to trot alongside an equally impressive stack of modern throwbackers that refuse to allow music fans to forget about the existence of hammond organs, Moog synthesizers and flutes. In particular, we are focusing on Papangu’s Nordic amigos, thanks to that region’s shared affinity for working in regional folk and, in some cases, splashes of actual heavy metal. Need a quick launching point / reminder? Look to bands such as Wobbler (Norway), Tusmørke (Norway), The Chronicles of Father Robin (Norway), Arabs in Aspic (Norway), Anekdoten (Sweden), Hällas (Sweden), Malady (Finland), and Kairon; IRSE! (Finland), et al.
So, yes, even though I said Celestial appears to push the harsher elements a little further into the background, we still get those moments where a curious cousin of black metal peeks through like Grutle Kjellson suddenly popping his head out of a porcupine nest nestled in a 120 year-old spruce tree. They crop in “Fechamento de Corpo” (“Full-body Design”), which is the darkest, most mythical / forest-y cut of the album, and they also bring some added wait to “Taxidermia,” a song that, outside of the harsh vocals, doesn’t really get to feeling full metal until it crosses the 5-minute mark.
The SECOND bit of writing that brought me here relates to the write-up I just did for Japanese progressive power band Galneryus and their latest album A Cry from the Sky Above. The album is quite good and I enjoy it, but its goodness will always be marred by the decision to use A.I. artwork for the cover, which I continue to hope was purely a Warner Japan resolution (that the band for some reason greenlit).
A.I. artwork is all over the music industry, and now we have musicians becoming more vocal about accepting its use in the production process and even within the songwriting stages. At the very least, I hope these artists are open about such decisions, so those of us who remain diametrically opposed to their use in art can opt-the-fuck out. This, fortuitously, is one of the principal themes behind Celestial, as indicated in the album’s liner notes:
“Taking a bold stance against the usage of A.I. tools in art, Papangu rejected all digital shortcuts: Celestial was recorded and mixed to magnetic tape, with no computers whatsoever, and mastered fully analogue at the renowned Emil Berliner Studios.
Recorded mostly live in the studio over the course of nine days, the band’s second collaboration with Berlin psych producer Richard Behrens (Elder, Kadavar, Earth Tongue) makes heavy use of vintage instruments and legendary recording gear from the 60s and 70s.”
Accordingly, Celestial does indeed come across like a band that’s spent years honing their craft by—hey, what a novel idea—simply playing together live. Papangu has always been tight, but performing the majority of these songs live in the studio showcases just how well these guys interact with one another, giving each player ample opportunity to shine amidst a production that’s warm, bouncy and very much in line with the album’s overall analog directive.
Opting for the more unembellished route does, however, sacrifice some of the accoutrements that have been utilized in the past; for the first time there are no guests, so no exploratory percussive elements, horns, etc. to be found amidst these 50 minutes. I would say this gives even more room for keyboard missions in 2026, though, as Celestial boasts a full range terrifically vintage ivories that include Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes, Roland Juno 106, Minimoog, Moog Matriarch, and the infamous Yamaha DX7 (the official sound of the ‘80s, used by Prince on Purple Rain, Europe for the Final Countdown, etc.) It’s great—it all sounds great, and underscoring the vintage keyboards definitely maximizes that warm ‘70s prog rock vibe at the crux of the album.
Now, with all this talk about a more straightforward trajectory and stronger lean on retro prog, it’s important to mention that Celestial is FAR from actually sounding ‘straightforward’. This is still a huge mishmash of styles characteristic of zeuhl that dips, lifts, zigs and zags around various meters and complex song structures with quite a strong improvisational element coloring the corners. Likewise, Papangu continues to set themselves apart from their contemporary piers by sustaining that unmistakable ‘Brazilian spice’ that makes songs like “Bode Expiatório” and “Afirmação” feel so bright, sprightly and, yes, perfect for some sort of festival atmosphere where sharing the good times with friends becomes prime directive numero uno.
So, do you need to be a fan of progressive rock in order to fall for an album like Celestial? Yeah, probably. But maybe you ARE a fan of progressive rock, even if you don’t know it yet. I feel like any fan of music in general is one album away from discovering a path previously obscured, provided you go into the adventure with an open mind and an appetite for exploration. Plus, Papangu’s brand of prog is something I’d consider to be rather approachable, thanks to that vivid festival spirit they’re so good at tapping into and the fact that they still manage to keep the songs relatively pithy (for prog) and catchy. In other words, Papangu albums aren’t here to show off, they’re essentially catalysts for fellowship, which Celestial once again nails with aplomb.
