Black Awareness Day takes place in Brazil this Thursday, November 20th. In light of this date, Wikimetal has selected seven Black rock and metal artists who have made history within the genre, breaking stereotypes and becoming active voices within their communities.
Mahin's Fist
Brazilian punk rock band formed in 2018 by four Black members: Natália Matos (vocals), Paulo Tertuliano (drums), Camila Araújo (guitar), and Du Costa (bass), all from the outskirts of São Paulo. Their name pays homage to Luíza Mahin , a historical figure in Black resistance in Brazil, and their music is laden with social criticism, addressing structural racism, feminism, police violence, and Black ancestry. In 2022, they released their first album, * Embate e Ancestralidade* , the result of in-depth historical and musical research. They signed with the record label Deck Discos in 2025 and performed at The Town 2025 on the Quebrada stage.
Zeal & Ardor
A project created by Manuel Gagneux , a unique blend of black metal with African-American spirituality and blues. The band was born from an experiment in online forums, where Gagneux asked for unlikely genre fusions, and someone suggested combining black metal with the chants of enslaved people. The result garnered worldwide critical acclaim, notably the album Stranger Fruit (2018), considered one of the most original works in modern metal.
Black Death
Known as "the first all-black heavy metal band," they emerged in Cleveland in the late 1970s. Influenced by Black Sabbath and Judas Priest , the group gained legendary status in the underground. Despite few official recordings, they are a historical reference for black metal and inspire academic research on diversity in the heavy metal scene.
Nova Twins
British duo formed by Amy Love (vocals and guitar) and Georgia South (bass), known for mixing rock, punk, hip-hop and electronic music into a heavy and highly contemporary sound. Daughters of the Black diaspora and acting completely independently at the beginning of their career, they quickly gained prominence for their futuristic aesthetic and combative attitude, addressing themes such as race, gender and female autonomy within rock. Their second album, Supernova (2022), received international acclaim and was nominated for the Mercury Prize , consolidating the duo as one of the most innovative forces of the new generation of alternative rock.
Devotees
One of the most important Brazilian punk/hardcore bands, formed in 1988 in the Alto José do Pinho community in Recife by Cannibal (bass and vocals), Neilton (guitar), and Celo Brown (drums). Initially known as Devotos do Ódio (Devotees of Hate ), they became a reference point for combining punk, Northeastern Brazilian music, and politically charged lyrics that portray the reality of the peripheries. Throughout their career, they released emblematic albums such as Agora Tá Valendo (1997) and Devotos (2000). They also gained prominence for their continuous social work within the community where they originated, becoming a symbol of cultural resistance and renewal in Brazilian heavy rock.
Arka'n Asrafokor
Asrafocore is a Togolese metal band formed by Kodzo “Rock” Ahavi , blending groove, thrash, and modern metal with traditional African percussion and chants, creating their own style . With a solid lineup since 2015, the group gained international recognition after signing with Atomic Fire Records and later Reigning Phoenix Music , releasing the album Dzikkuh and garnering attention in the specialized press, including a mention in Metal Hammer among the best new metal songs. Their lyrics, focused on ancestry, social justice, and spirituality, solidify the band as one of the most original and relevant African names in contemporary metal.
Unlocking the Truth
American heavy metal band formed in Brooklyn by three young boys: Malcolm Brickhouse (guitar and vocals), Jarad Dawkins (drums), and Alec Atkins (bass). They started playing as children, met when they were about 4 years old, and went viral with videos of them playing on the streets, especially in Times Square. In 2016, they independently Chaos Breaking a Monster , directed by Luke Meyer .
