By Leandro Abrantes and Luis Fernando Ribeiro
The Northeastern artist Hugo Rioli , from the state of Pernambuco, continues to showcase the strength and uniqueness of his admirable repertoire with the release of "Vazio," the fourth single of his solo career, which comes with his first music video.
Following the release of the melancholic and overwhelming "O que não é amor" (What is not love), the delicate "Devota" (Devoted), and the powerful and volatile "Inevitável" (Inevitable) – responsible for the musician's growing popularity in the Brazilian heavy metal scene – "Vazio" ( emerges as the artist's heaviest song, with the most metal elements, accompanied by a powerful and urgent message about issues such as anxiety and depression, which devastate society in our time.
“Vazio” is a grandiose song, with the daring courage that is already peculiar to Hugo Rioli and with an apotheotic and complex sound, impossible to digest in a single listen. “Vazio” speaks of feelings of pain to which we are all exposed, addressing an absolutely heavy theme in a beautifully poetic way, leading the listener to a profound reflection on our decisions and our role in our lives.
Regarding the lyrics of his new song, Hugo Rioli highlighted: “Our society is becoming increasingly depressed and anxious. There are several causes, and in 'Vazio' I offer a reflection on some of them.”
Its composition is created from a rather unlikely mix of elements, but which surprisingly work in the hands of this great composer and the talented team that accompanies him, resulting in something that ranges from a Chico Buarque- to the belligerent and refined boldness of Opeth , creating dazzling guitar arrangements, passing through enigmatic and absolutely progressive passages, reaching the choleric riffs that flirt with extreme metal, making this by far Rioli's heaviest and most complex song to date.
With a devastating atmosphere fueled by a voice that is simultaneously hoarse, soft, and raspy, coupled with riffs laden with an unrelenting weight that overflows in the progressive passages, like a beacon illuminating a profusion of feelings that become confused like a tangled ball of yarn—a mixture of pain, affliction, regret, depression, and lack of self-identification—it still conveys hope, strength, and the possibility of the protagonist resurging and recognizing his dreams, as well as his identity, however painful it may be to acknowledge that his choices led him to abandon himself. These elements make Hugo Rioli's complex composition a work that is difficult to digest, but utterly delightful.
Regarding the composition of “Vazio”, Rioli commented: “'Vazio' is my most progressive composition to date, in addition to having the densest lyrics. Even though it's my heaviest song, it's in 'Vazio' that the guitar is most prominent! It naturally guides the entire song, since I composed 'Vazio' entirely on the nylon-string guitar.”
In addition to Hugo Rioli, responsible for all the composition and the performance of the vocals, nylon-string guitar, and steel-string guitar, the experienced Vazio musicians Pablo Romeu (7-string guitar), Marco Melo (6-string guitar), Daniel Félix (keyboards), Bruno César (bass), and Lulu Batera (drums). Musical production was handled by Hugo Rioli and Pablo Romeu , with mixing and mastering by Marco Melo . The music video, recorded at Câmbio Sonoro Records, was directed and edited by Thiago Brandão , filmed by Thiago Brandão and Marcelo “Rasta” , with camera assistance by Luiz Felipe .
Vazio is now available on all major streaming platforms, and its music video can be watched below.
