Review: Kaatayra – Caminhos de Água
Style: Folk black metal, post-minimalism (Mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Agalloch, Colin Stetson, Panopticon
Country: Brazil
Release date: 24 May 2026
When Phil Tougas released albums with Exxûl and Worm back to back earlier this year, I started wondering how prolific artists with multiple projects keep their bands distinct in their heads. How did Phil Tougas know which riffs were to be epic doom (Exxûl) and which were to be gothic black doom (Worm)? How does he differentiate which shreddy guitar solos are more fit for Cryptopsy worship (Serocs) or power/prog (Eternity’s End)? This brings me to Brazil’s Kaatayra, the band that first alerted me to the existence of Caio Lemos in mid 2020. After putting out five albums under the moniker, Lemos placed Kaatayra on indefinite hiatus1; he’s remained busy with other projects in the meantime, though—I’ve reviewed seven albums of his for the blog since the dissolution of Kaatayra,2 and that’s not everything he’s released in that timeframe. With numerous projects to choose from, why did Caminhos de Água drive the resurrection of Kaatayra?
Lemos has released several masterpieces under various names with just as much creativity and effort as Kaatayra, but I think Kaatayra is the most authentically him, embodying Caio Lemos the person; Bríi and the others have his signature sound and often touch the sublime, but you can feel the man’s heart and soul embedded in Só Quem Viu o Relâmpago à Sua Direita Sabe, Inpariquipe, and now Caminhos de Água. As the title suggests, Caminhos de Água is inspired by the idyllic rivers in central Brazil, where Lemos is from, and he uses this naturalistic theming to frame a metaphor in remembrance of his grandmother, who passed away during recording: Given the multifaceted purpose of this newest Caio Lemos album, the necessity of the Kaatayra name is clear. Both the opener “Rio Preto” and closer “Remanso de Maria”—a tranquil minimalist track entirely dedicated to his grandmother—feature spoken words from her. The latter is an incredibly sweet and slightly humorous exchange between them, in which Caio coaches her how to recite the small poem he wrote for the intro, providing a touching insight into their relationship; Lemos also sings of how she taught him to love but never how to say goodbye in “Remanso de Maria.” Continuing with the record’s strong emphasis on family, Lemos also uses part of the title track to sing an adorable duet with his young niece, whose pure, light voice naturally melds with his.
Those familiar with Bríi and Kaatayra won’t be surprised by the sound of Caminhos de Água as another album with the signature Lemos sound; those unfamiliar will hear something totally novel, as Kaatayra once again performs black metal riffs with solely an acoustic guitar—as well as a heavier emphasis on woodwinds this time—amidst a sea of polyrhythmic blast beats, bells, whistles, and percussion. Many of the myriad of rhythmic highlights take place in “Águas Passadas,” such as the drum and synth parts which fade into and out of each other in the first stages of the track—a choir of chanted vocals does the same just past the midpoint. Following up a new age-y interlude track that is replete with water sounds, flutes, and formless synths, “Ritmo Corredeiro” ratchets up the intensity with drum’n’bass-informed percussion that explodes into intricate blast beats at the start of the following song.
In between swells of the blackened, blast-beat-laden intensity, Kaatayra builds repetitious post-minimalist motifs into majestic crescendos. In theme, each track begins and/or ends with field recordings of running rivers—as if the album is always in the river—before slowly layering in instruments. The piano, acoustic guitar, and various styles of percussion are Lemos’ strong suit, especially as one of the most underrated drummers in metal—the entire Kaatayra sound, melding his various influences into black metal, comes together in the last third of “Águas Passadas.” Moreover, Lemos’ clean vocals are at their strongest ever on Caminhos de Água; the complex mix of emotions that arose during the recording process for the record come to the surface through his voice. As always on a Kaatayra album, the harsh vocals are a valuable textural contrast, but they’re also the weakest part, rather utilitarian stylistically—Flávio Dourado’s guest vocals, which are a blended clean/harsh style, on “Águas Passadas” are strong, though.
The biggest strength of Caminhos de Água compared to other Kaatayra albums is its production, which allows Lemos to crystallize emotions into music by being more vocal-forward than ever before. The buildups and resolutions are facilitated by wide dynamics focused on transparent production rather than total sonic control, allowing for clarity in both the metal and folky minimalist sections. Lemos manages to keep the earthiness that previous albums had while adjusting enough to match the tranquility of a meandering river.
Caio Lemos delivers excellence time and time again, and Caminhos de Água counts among his best works yet; Caminhos de Água is a cathartic album that captures the sublimity of Brazil’s natural beauty while acting as a quiet tribute to his grandmother. While Lemos’ music transcends whatever the project’s name is, it’s only fitting that such an intimate album is a return to what started it all, a fitting new chapter for Kaatayra.
Recommended tracks: Rio sem Nome, Águas Passadas, Caminhos de Água
You may also like: Bríi, Vestígio, Salqiu, Vauruvã, Oksät, Antropoceno
Final verdict: 9/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Instagram
Label: independent
Kaatayra is:
– Caio Lemos (everything)
With guests:
– A. Lemos (vocals: track 6)
– Dona Maria (spoken word: tracks 1, 7)
– Flávio Dourado (vocals: track 3)
– Pedrito Hildebrando (vocals: track 2, 6)
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