Text by Marcelo Gomes
An icon of the 80s, the Canadian band Exciter landed in Brazil to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the classic Heavy Metal Maniac . With three shows scheduled here (Belo Horizonte, Brasília and São Paulo), the São Paulo capital closed the Brazilian leg of the tour and featured the American band Bat and the Brazilian bands Inferno Nuclear and Hellway Train . The event took place at Jai Club and the São Paulo audience once again showed up in force, selling out the tickets.
Right at the entrance of the venue, what you saw were fans wearing leather, covered in patches that looked like they came straight from the 80s. If the look evoked that era, the sound was no different, and Inferno Nuclear opened the night. They came from far away, from Pará, to show that in Brazil, every region has a good metal band. Playing thrash in Portuguese with various social critiques, the band from Pará managed to get their message across even as the audience arrived. A highlight was the song "Anarquia," a track from the album Diante De Um Holocausto.
When the Hellway Train miners took the stage, the audience was already larger. Without ceremony, vocalist Marc Hellway appeared wearing masks, accompanied by Vinicius Thram on guitar, Chris Maia on bass, and Filipe Stress on drums, briefly checking out their instruments to the sound of Judas Priest ." With everything ready, they began the performance with "Hell On Earth" and "Born To Rock Hard." Just by looking at them, there was no doubt about the strong Priest influences. They all embodied the style and presented the best of 80s metal.
Marc emphasized the importance of national metal and highlighted Inferno Nuclear's participation. Strangely, the PA system was playing Red Hot Chili Peppers which was promptly rejected by the vocalist. Shortly after, a wrong intro to "Out Of The Cellar" was played, Marc, visibly irritated, asked for it to be cut, and they continued without problems. Despite the setbacks, the reception was very good, and after "Bounded To Devour," they included Judas Priest's "Jawbreaker," which wasn't planned in the setlist. They closed with "Bomberman," leaving the impression that the water in Minas Gerais has something special.
The audience didn't seem very familiar with Bat, but that didn't make much difference when the music started. With ten years of experience and two members of Municipal Waste , Ryan Waste (bass and vocals) and Nick Poulos (guitars), the American trio, which includes Chris Charge on drums, delivered an electrifying performance. From the very first chords of "Ritual Fool," it was clear that it was impossible to stay still. Short, fast-paced songs ignited the crowd, who were thirsty for a visceral, no-frills sound.
During their set, “Master Of The Skies”, “Code Rude”, “Will Fever”, and “You Die”, from the album Wings Of Chains (2016) and the EP Axestasy (2019), made Jai Club tremble. The great reception from the audience gave the band confidence to present two new songs, “Rite For Exorcism” and “StreetBanger”, tracks from the album Under The Crooked Claw , which will be released in May 2024. “Cruel Discipline” and “Total Wreckage” brought an end to the excellent performance by the American trio, who certainly gained many fans here. Not bad for their debut in Brazil.
Finally, the time had come for the stars of the night, and Exciter proved why they are so beloved among headbangers. With the venue packed to capacity to welcome the Canadians, Allan Johnson (bass), Dan Beehler (drums/vocals), and Daniel Dekay (guitar) arrived to deliver the best of the 80s and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the album Heavy Metal Maniac in a mind-blowing show. Right from the introduction, the old-school fans practically forced those holding their phones up to put them away. And their requests were granted through sheer, spontaneous pressure. Given the low stage at Jai Club, the request wasn't entirely unreasonable.
The show began with “Stand Up And Fight” and “Heavy Metal Maniac,” both from the album being celebrated. Sung along to from the start, with mosh pits right in front of the stage, the band reciprocated the fans' warm reception with extra energy. Despite the 40th-anniversary celebration, the band didn't limit themselves to that and played classics from various phases of their career. A good example of this was “Break Down The Walls,” which was interspersed with “Iron Dogs” and “Evil Sinner.” The band's energy was incredible; the place seemed to exude the spirit of the 80s. The audience responded by singing and headbanging in perfect communion with the band.
Next came “Feel The Knife” with its killer riffs, and they were finally given a standing ovation. The place went wild, Beehler stood up from the drums with his hand on his chest to thank the warm reception. Speaking of killer riffs, the one in “Die In The Night” was even sung along to, as was its catchy chorus. One of the cool things about Exciter is that they change their setlist during the tour. The drum groove soon led into “Living Evil,” which was a pleasant surprise at the show.
The final part featured the explosive tracks “Pounding Metal,” followed by a killer guitar solo from Dekay, “Beyond The Gates Of Doom,” “Violence & Force,” and “Long Live The Loud,” which reached the peak of energy for the night. Tempers flared at times, but thanks to the peacemakers, the situation was successfully resolved. To make the night unforgettable, they played Motorhead with a special guest appearance by Ryan Waste sharing vocals with Beehler. The ending was spectacular, with Ryan and Daniel stage diving to crown this unforgettable moment.
The whole event was like a trip back in time, a true revival of the 80s. Led by Exciter, all the bands that night contributed to making this nostalgic evening bring back the golden moments of an era when metal was more than just a musical style, but a way of life. Depending on the bands and the fans, this phase will certainly never end.
