Spanish band Le Mur sound like a force of nature on their current single ‘Porno’. With immediate effect, the arrangement introduces a slow, heavy riff that mixes the tones of post metal with a grungy undertone, bringing out the very best in Pedto’s aggressive tones.

Setting a riff in place that sounds like a Deftones classic colliding with a slower number from A Perfect Circle, the track’s heavy edge is a perfect fit for Elsa’s vocals, and throughout these four minutes, she approaches a complete spectrum of sound, moving from almost spoken tones and into a huge melodic cry, dropping in a few hardcore tinged shouts, and even attacking in an abrasive tone more attuned with a nu-metal sound. No matter which approach is taken, Elsa sounds immense, but the vocal really hits most effectively on the chorus when a huge, melodic soaring tone brings out the very best in a huge performance.

Although most of the track centres around heaviness, there’s some balance too, with a disturbingly quiet middle eight which introduces mechanical beats and almost whispered tones, adding a different kind of unease to a message driven piece.

According to Le Mur’s press materials, ‘Porno’ “…emerges as an urgent and uncomfortable reflection on the social pressure imposed on women to meet unattainable beauty standards — a constant demand that gradually becomes an invisible cage […] the lyrics are raw and unfiltered, capturing that daily suffocation, while the music builds with mounting tension, closing in until it explodes into a cathartic and liberating climax.”

In the band’s own words, they “wanted to talk about that constant pressure to fit into an impossible mold. That feeling of living inside a glass cage that tightens a little more every single day. The song keeps growing in intensity because we needed the body to feel what the lyrics are saying: discomfort, anger, and finally, rupture.”

It’s a track with a hugely positive message; one that’s as relevant now as ever. Even with the Spanish lyric, the mood and intensity of the track really get the mood and message across, making this a slice of thoughtful (post-) metal that can be universally enjoyed.

Check out the new video below.