MM3

It's slightly disappointing that this São Paulo four-piece's third album opens with a brooding Joy Division-style chord progression that then builds to a punk-rock intensity. What was so exciting about their previous effort, Metal Metal, was its intricate, funky interplay of guitar, saxophone, bass and drums. But your ears quickly acclimatise. This is a record that rages against the injustices and corruption rife in Brazil – perhaps the blunt instrument of rock was better suited to convey this mood.

It's still a pleasure to hear the way guitarist Kiko Dinucci and saxophonist Thiago França shadow and clash with each other. And Juçara Marçal's vocals at times move literally from a whisper to a scream, making you wonder if she's picked up a trick or two from the legendary Elza Soares, whose recent innovative album heavily involved Dinucci. Eventually there's some lighter relief in the shape of the more upbeat Congolese soukous-inspired ‘Toque Certeiro’, but it feels like a token gesture. But this is still a bracing and thrilling piece of work from a great band.