Text by Francis Cassol, drummer of Scelerata, exclusively for Wikimetal , telling how music and Heavy Metal entered his life:
Hey everyone and WikiMetal fans! It's a pleasure to share with you a little about how rock and metal came into my life!
Ever since I was a kid I've been obsessed with music, even though I don't come from a family of musicians. I spent a large part of my childhood in the United States during the 80s, and because of that I discovered bands like Kiss, Motley Crüe, Bon Jovi, and artists like Michael Jackson, Madonna, A-HA, etc. through American radio. Not to mention MTV, which played music videos of these artists all the time. My parents gave me a radio with a cassette player, where I recorded the songs I liked the most.
But rock entered my life and never left at Rock in Rio II. I went crazy watching Guns N' Roses on television, and I confess I was impressed seeing Axl, Slash, Duff and company. Long hair, tattoos, cigarettes, drinking, etc. All of that captivated me instantly, and I became the biggest Guns N' Roses fan. I let my hair grow and then discovered a love for the drums, which has never left me since!
A few months later I discovered metal bands like Metallica, Pantera, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Sepultura, Slayer, hard rock bands like Skid Row, and Seattle bands like Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, and Soundgarden. It was the beginning of the 90s, MTV had just arrived in Porto Alegre, and everything was buzzing! All the kids at school were learning to play, forming bands… And in the meantime, I discovered legendary Brazilian metal bands like Viper and Leviaethan.
I started playing drums in 1991, and began taking lessons in 1993. Around that time I discovered Rush, Yes, ELP, and Deep Purple, which made a huge difference in my musical/drumming development. I formed many, many rock bands, but it was difficult to find good musicians willing to play metal in Porto Alegre. Then, in 2000, I met Gustavo Strapazon, the current bassist for Scelerata, and he introduced me to a group of people who were really serious about it. And so, slowly, Scelerata was born!
Another groundbreaking discovery was when I discovered German metal bands in the mid-90s. Bands like Gamma Ray, Helloween, and Blind Guardian blew my mind, and then I discovered Angra, Dream Theater, Symphony X, Rhapsody, etc.
Once you understand what rock and metal truly are, you'll never be the same again. It's an inexplicable attraction, a way of life, and the 'brothers of metal' will be your truest friends. That's rock and metal. Eternal loyalty.
Francis Cassol
Click here to visit the Scelerata website.
