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Fernando Molinari — Numen
(Bandcamp no#, 2026, DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2026-11-07

Numen Cover art

Brazilian bassist and composer Fernando Molinari just crash-landed into our soundworld with his fourth album Numen, a brazen attack on sonic conventions that lands somewhere between funk, metal, and fusion, with touches of flamenco and world, lots of odd time signatures and complex twists and turns, and no vocals, along with a strong cast of top shelf musicians; it may clock in at only 25 minutes, but you’re gonna need a cigarette when these five tracks finish, if you haven’t died from whiplash first. Molinari has done plenty of session work over the years, appearing on a dozen or more recordings in various capacities, but his solo discography began in 2010 with Identidade, followed in 2016 with Built by Elements, then Reaching Inside in 2021. Some of the component pieces of Numen have been available on his Bandcamp site for a year or so, but this collects them all together and adds two more cuts. Molinari, of course, handles bass guitar throughout, and needless to say he is a monster player; with Marco Minnemann drumming on three tracks and the other two shared by drummers Luigi Paraventi and Arthur Rezende, it makes for a most formidable rhythm section. Guitarists Andre Nieri and Joao Hanysz both power some amazing melodies and solos, along with keyboardists Daniel Felix, Cristian del Giorgio, Herbert Madeiros, and Chris Clark for a beautiful and effective piano solo on “Gemina,” a masterpiece hybrid of complex rock and fusion with strong Middle-Eastern flavors. Opener “Minerva” offers strong evidence of 80s King Crimson influence, but all ratcheted up to a higher level with Minnemann’s drumming and Nieri’s guitar sharing the pyrotechnics. “Mitra” rolls in slowly with some amazing flamenco styles but quickly gets down to a hybrid fusion that’ll leave one breathless, while “Netuno” drives a hard funk and metal sound that jumps into some tasty world elements and fiery guitar soloing. Closer “Marte” doesn’t ease up as Paravente and Molinari’s wicked bottom end kicks your ass all over the studio while they bust through all kinds of odd-meter shenanigans along with a stunning guitar solo by Hanysz. Never a dull moment anywhere on these five monstrous cuts; if 25 minutes isn’t enough for you, play it two or three times!

Filed under: New releases, 2026 releases

Related artist(s): Marco Minnemann, Fernando Molinari

More info
http://fernandomolinari.bandcamp.com/album/numen

 

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