Finnish power metal band Battle Beast has introduced Brazilian singer Marina La Torraca . Following the announcement of Noora Louhimo , the band is betting on a vocalist already established in modern metal.
Originally from São Paulo, Marina is recognized as the frontwoman of the band Phantom Elite and a member of the symphonic metal project Exit Eden . She has gained worldwide recognition for her various collaborations, including guest appearances with Avantasia . Now, the vocalist is preparing for her live debut on the tour for the band's latest album, Steelbound , released with Noora Louhimo.
In a conversation with Wikimetal , La Torraca spoke about the expectations and challenges of taking on vocals for Battle Beast and future plans.
Wikimetal: Taking over vocals for Battle Beast on a world tour is a significant milestone in your career. How did you receive the invitation, and what was your initial reaction upon learning you would be leading this new phase of the band?
Marina La Torraca: It wasn't exactly an invitation with everything confirmed. It was an invitation to explore the possibility, and we decided everything much later. But my first reaction was total shock. First, I read the email subject and thought, "Who's sending me this?" I thought it was some kind of joke, a fan, something. Obviously, the last thing that crossed my mind was that it would actually be what it was. So, it was very funny. That was my first shock, and when I opened the email, which seemed legitimate, it said that their singer was leaving the band, and that was the second shock. Because I thought, "Wait a minute, they're on tour now? How can she be leaving the band?" So it was a shock.
And the third shock was that they were considering me as a singer. So I thought, "But that's completely unrelated." My first reaction was, "Nothing to do with it. What do you mean? Me? Am I sure? No, they wrote to the wrong person…" You know when you start to get neurotic? I think they wrote to the wrong person. Honestly, because the work I've been doing with Phantom Elite specifically lately is musically very different from Battle Beast. And that's what I've been focusing on more lately, and I thought, "Does it work?" But I had to prove it to myself too. Right after that email, we reached a conclusion, we talked, we had an online meeting to get to know each other, to talk. And then I already felt a very good vibe from them.
That's not exactly the case with all bands. I thought it was really cool that they seemed super open and well-integrated, a very familiar environment. And I said, "I'm going to try singing the songs here, send them something." So, I sang some Steelbound at home. And it was at that moment that I first understood, I said... It works! This clicks! It makes sense! From then on, we organically checked things out, doing more recordings, more things together. I even went to Finland to meet them in person, to record something live, with Janne [Björkroth], who is the keyboardist and also the band's producer. We checked out quite a bit on how the songs would sound before establishing the connection. It was a whole process of one or two months. But because we also didn't have any more time and everything had to be very quick, they were, in fact, already starting the European Steelbound tour.
The challenges of taking on lead vocals for a new band
WM: The album Steelbound has already been released with Noora Louhimo's original recordings and has received critical acclaim. How do you approach the challenge of performing live a repertoire that the audience already knows?
MLT: I think the healthy way I found for myself, to approach this repertoire professionally, is to draw a parallel with musical theatre, since I also come from musical theatre and have a lot of experience with it. In the world of bands, there's usually only one person who sings the entire repertoire, and the fans connect with that person. And in musicals it's different; there's a role played by many different actors, and the composers write the music for that role and have a certain type of person in mind, a certain type of voice in mind that needs to fit, but several actors can and do play the same role in different countries. Think of The Phantom of the Opera. How many people have played the Phantom of the Opera to date? That's how I chose.
Of course, fans have a special connection with Noora. That's obvious. It's not that simple, it's not just a role. I'm not taking away the emotional merit of a vocalist who's been in the band for 12 years. Obviously not. But, as I said, it's the professional way I'm seeing this. So, the songs were written in a certain way, and I'm going to sing these songs that were written in that way, with certain things in mind. Energy is very important. And how I'm going to interpret them, how I'm going to bring energy and precision to these songs, is my decision.
WM: Is there a concern about preserving the vocal identity of the album, or do you naturally seek to insert your own signature into the songs?
MLT: Since we're talking about voice, it's a very biological, very particular instrument. So, even if I tried to imitate her [former vocalist Noora Louhimo's] sound, it won't come out the same. It's such a personal thing. What I'm trying to do is actually a mix. Since the only reference I have of someone singing these songs is Noora, it ends up being a bit like the way she sings, which is also the way I learn. This is something that will develop over time.
The more I sing the songs live, the more I've noticed that in the beginning I had a greater intention to imitate than I do now. There are some things I've been doing, for example, in the last rehearsal we had this week, that I thought: "the songs are, in fact, sounding different." But it's not something imposed. It's not something I'm going to say, "now I have to do this differently, because I have to leave my signature." No, the music has to sound good. That's all. So, the way that works best is the way I'm going to interpret it.
WM: Regarding the show in Finland, Battle Beast's country of origin, does it represent an additional test because it's the band's native audience?
MLT: Honestly, I don't know, because I've been receiving so many positive messages from the Finnish audience that, in fact, I'm not feeling that extra pressure right now. Because I think the support is also extra. Since they're so proud of the band, they know the band's history, that Noora wasn't the first vocalist either, that the line-up is basically the same… That they really came from nothing, grew, and are phenomenal musicians. I think the support for the band is very strong as well. So, one cancels out the other.
The responsibility of representing Brazil in a foreign band
WM: You've built a solid career in Europe, based in Germany. How do you see this moment in your international journey as a Brazilian metal artist?
MLT: To tell you the truth, I don't know exactly how I ended up where I am now. My intention was never to move to Germany to pursue a career as a heavy metal singer. Actually, things just happened. The reason I came to Germany wasn't… To tell you the truth, I didn't even intend to move to Germany. I ended up staying because my intention was, in fact, to come to Germany, stay for a month or two, and learn German. That was my intention. I saved money, worked on a cruise ship, to get that money and spend a month in Germany during my university break… I studied architecture at USP in São Paulo and I thought: “I have a few months here and I'm going to do this.”
And I was tired of São Paulo, the city is crazy! I was living in Butantã, isolated from the world, in that university bubble. It was near USP (University of São Paulo), otherwise, how would I get to class if I didn't leave 3 hours early by public transport or car? I don't know what's better either. So I said: "Look, I'm going to do this, let me, screw it." I ended up liking it so much here because, actually, I was so tired of São Paulo, so tired of São Paulo, I came to Berlin to study and I also thought: "This place has a very São Paulo vibe. I'm going somewhere else.".
I simply, I swear, I got on a train and I met someone on the street who said, “Go to such and such city. It’s peaceful there and it’s where I study.” I said, “I’ll go,” and I went, got on the train and went. I thought, “I don’t know where I’m going to stay.” I stayed in a hostel, in one place and another. I managed to arrange an exchange program with USP (University of São Paulo), it was quite difficult, but I managed, so I was able to legally study in Germany. And that was the intention, I was studying, doing student work here, working in a bar, translating, etc. I stayed and had stopped singing for a while because I was tired. I’m going to focus here on my studies and career.
And it didn't work out. I ended up going back to the world of bands at some point. As soon as I graduated, the first job I got after graduating was in musicals. It ended up happening, it unfolded, and, as I said, a career in heavy metal music is a very difficult thing because it's not financially viable. It's something that either happens or it doesn't. You can work to make it happen. I've always worked very hard in bands; it's a double life. You have to somehow support yourself and work hard with the band. For me, now, joining a band of Battle Beast's level, which has some financial support, is very significant.
WM: What kind of responsibility comes with representing Brazil in a band recognized in the European metal scene?
MLT: So, I don't see it as a negative responsibility, I don't feel any fear or pressure, because I think that doing a job in a musical field that is already quite underrepresented by Brazilians is a positive thing anyway. Because I think that, especially the people who listen to heavy metal in Brazil, which is a lot of people, but still a minority… These people feel a little ashamed to be represented internationally by artists like Anitta . So, in that respect, I think: it's good that I'm not Anitta.
I think people, metalheads, can be happy. And look, I don't hate Anitta. I'm just giving an example that I've heard many people say: "What a shame to be represented by her when there are so many good people out there." I think I'm honored by the possibility of representing a musical genre that is disadvantaged.
Future plans for Battle Beast
WM: Could this experience open doors for a more lasting collaboration with Battle Beast, or is the focus, at this moment, exclusively on the Steelbound ?
MLT: I'm the new singer in the band, so we really can't wait to make more music. New music. From a completely different point of view. I think if it was just a… filling the gap with the tour, I don't think it would work. I think Battle Beast fans wouldn't… swallow it. I think it's a very roots band. Battle Beast isn't the type of band that performs. The way they present themselves, as I said, they're very close-knit, they're very family-oriented, they're very… authentic.
So, they do a lot of things themselves, they produce them themselves, they write them themselves, they manage them themselves. Hiring someone to do a show, to pretend to be the new singer, I don't think that's a situation they would handle well. That kind of pretending isn't for them, and honestly, not for me either. I think in that sense, and I think musically too, but personally, the combination worked out very well.
WM: What are your future plans with the band? Can we expect your debut with Battle Beast in Brazil?
MLT: To be quite honest, the band doesn't have any concrete plans after this tour. The intention is to write and record new music as quickly as possible and release and promote it as soon as possible. So, I think… Shows in Brazil, in Latin America, make a lot of sense, they will make a lot of sense at some point. For now, no, there's nothing concrete planned, but I think, why not? In a future tour cycle, I think it makes a lot of sense, especially with my Brazilian representation, to come to Brazil.
WK: We're really looking forward to it! Do you have a message for our readers and your fans in Brazil?
MLT: I'm always saying the same thing. That I really can't wait to play in Brazil again, for the first time since I started there, doing shows on the circuit at São Paulo, Manifesto, and Fofinho Rock Club. So, I can't wait to do some shows around Brazil, and I hope we can do that as soon as possible. Keep an eye on my and the band's social media. Follow us on TikTok because we're trying to grow on that platform – I don't know what will come of it, but… Let's try.
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