Awful Memories

Awful Memories formed in Porto, Portugal in 2016 as a trio: Henrique Fernandes on vocals and synths, Guilherme Covas on guitar, and Hugo Franklin on drums. They put out two albums, Desespero in 2018 and Desprezo in 2020.

Their sound leans into dissonant guitar work and heavy percussion, with Fernandes's vocals often carrying a strained, emotional weight. The track Desprezo from their second album gives a fair sense of their approach, spare, atmospheric, and built around themes of isolation and despair.

They've kept a fairly low profile outside of their releases, working mostly from Porto without much of the usual promotional machinery. Their music tends to avoid conventional structures, which has sometimes drawn criticism, but they've stuck with their own lane rather than chasing broader appeal.