Worldwide Metal: Brazil
Brazil is a country that almost contrasts itself. Not only in celebration and ecstasy through the grandeur and celebration, but also heavily focused on religious ideology and beliefs (i.e. Christ The Redeemer statue in Rio De Janeiro). Musically, Brazil is a true musical heaven of dance-heavy tonality and inspiration. From the tap your feet and booty shaking feel of Samba and Bossa Nova, the music of Brazil drips in not only charisma, passion, seduction and overall positivity. But what is the metal scene like in Brazil? Is there a darkness that fuels the country’s extreme metal scene? With the country’s turmoil of gaining its independence, to gang warfare, military coups and dictatorship reigns, it sounds like the powder keg is ready to blow with the inspiration to create some great metal music. Today, I will talk about some bands from the country (and one you’ve DEFINITELY heard of) and showcase the true greatness of some metal acts from the scene.
Starting off my visit to Brazil is one of the longest running death metal acts from the country and that is Krisiun. With the band’s blasting death metal sound and blackened/blasphemous lyrical themes, the band made their debut in 1995 with Black Force Domain. The band is just sheer, straightforward, all killer-no filler death metal with each release. Alex Camargo’s vocals are just so deep and powerful, mixed with the awesome drumming of Max Kolesne, has just made them one of those deep cut bands that people truly don’t give the band their due. Especially after going for over thirty years. Ageless Venomous, for me, is my all-time favorite album from the band and is a great starting point for the band. The band is killer live and still making new music, with the band’s most recent album with 2022’s Mortem Solis showing that the band still will kick ass and take names and never slow even after thirty five years of blisteringly fast and heavy death metal.
Sarcófago was a true hybrid of extreme metal. With a sound combining both thrash and death metal, while also incorporating what some would consider part of the first wave of black metal, along with acts like Venom and Bathory with their debut album I.N.R.I. in 1987. The band’s image has also been cited as an influence for the corpse paint look that the genre would adopt as a trademark of the genre. Though a lot more simpler in image, the look matched the hostile and brutal speed and sound the band delivered on their debut. The vocals of Wagner Lamounier (who was Sepultura’s original vocalist for a brief time), has that early, cavernous death metal growl that a lot of bands from the Florida death metal scene had, mixed with the early gritty snarls of black metal. “Satanic Lust” captures that sound perfectly, while also bombarding the listener with blast beats and shred-heavy guitars. With a more real-life lyrical focus and shift towards a more thrash/death sound, The Laws of Scourge was divisive with fans, citing the missing black metal unholiness of the debut. The band releases two more albums, 1994’s Hate and 1997’s The Worst, before the band would disband. Leaving a lasting legacy of sheer unholy terror and unmitigated aggression.
Progressive power metal act Angra deliver a creative and complex sound fusing the two genres into a sound that helps the band standout from many of the heavyweights of power and prog metal. Founded in 1991, Angra’s 1993 debut Angels Cry helped establish the band in the growing power metal scene, along with showing that Brazil can offer other metal genres besides thrash. The band’s creative and dynamic riffs and instrumentation, combined with the theatrical and commanding vocals, shows the band has not missed a step and are true torchbearers for the amalgamation of prog/power to help define the band. After the band’s last album, 2023 Cycles of Pain, the band is currently on hiatus, but I hope that the band will rise from its slumber to soar like a phoenix and bring the band’s commanding sound back into the world.
Violator bring the sheer terror and destruction with their version of thrash metal. With their 2006 debut Chemical Assault, the three piece at the time brought the sheer ferocity and power that brings memories of the Bay-Area thrash scene of the 80’s. Though Violator didn’t realize a new album for seven years, the band amped up their sound even more with their follow-up Scenarios of Brutality. With the music soaked in social issues and anti-fascism matching the two-faced and untrusting face of its main figure on the album cover. Unholy Retribution, the band’s most recent record just shows the band is not taking their foot off the gas and deliver abrasive, in-your-face thrash metal that will make any circle pit go insane and leave you with a sore neck after the band is done destroying it.
An amazing death metal from São Paulo is the all-female act Crypta. Created by lead vocalist and bassist Fernanda Lira & drummer Luana Dametto following their departure from the band Nervosa (another band worth checking out I might add), the two recruited guitarist Sonia Anubis and Tainá Bergamaschi. The band gained the attention of Napalm Records, who signed the band and would release their debut album Echoes of The Soul in 2021. With a high-intensity take on death metal, the band truly went for the throat with every track on their debut. “Starvation” and “From The Ashes” just showcase the true talent and musicianship with Crypta’s sound. With the album seeing a lot of positive reviews and the band’s fun and intense live shows, especially with Lira’s captivating, frontwoman energy that just matches the aura and presence of their sound. The band followed that album up two years later with Shades of Sorrow in 2023, showing a step-up in sound and production and making the band a true mainstay in the genre and a band that will leave you one hell of a sore neck after each album ends.
The last act I will be talking about today is probably the most well-known metal band to come from the region. Sepultura has been a cornerstone in the thrash metal genre, being one of the biggest thrash acts outside of the United States. Formed in 1984 and led by Max Cavelera on vocals, the band captured a hybrid of death metal & thrash metal with the band’s first two albums Morbid Visions and Schizophrenia. The band truly made their mark on thrash metal with their third album Beneath The Remains and Arise. The band began to shift into a groove metal sound with the release of Chaos A.D. and Roots, before Cavalera would leave the band in 1997 due to personal differences and would go on to form Soulfly.
The band would recruit Derrick Green as their new vocalist, making his debut on the band’s seventh album Against. The band continued the band’s tribal groove metal sound with Green leading the charge and continuing the legacy of the band. With albums like A-Lex, Quadra and Machine Messiah being true standouts during the Green-era of the band. Sepultura embarked on their 40th anniversary farewell tour in 2023.
That’s going to do it for my time visiting Brazil. Did you dig some of the bands I featured in this edition? Were there any bands you think other readers should check out? You can also let me know what country I should travel to next, so I can stamp my metal passport on my journey to discover Worldwide Metal.
