Interview: Pesta and the power of doom metal in Brazil

Text and interview by Matheus Jacques

Not only a solid name in the current Brazilian doom metal scene, but possibly one of the most representative groups within the genre, with excellent material released, the quintet from Minas Gerais, Pesta, is gradually establishing the strength of its trajectory in an upward trend.

With their latest full album being Faith Bathed in Blood (2019) and their most recent release being the excellent music video for the track "Antropophagic" (featured on the aforementioned album), the group granted us the following interview. Check it out!

Pesta consists of Thiago Cruz (vocals), Marcos Resende (guitar), Daniel Rocha (guitar), Anderson Vaca (bass), and Flávio Freitas (drums).

Matheus Jacques: Welcome. Please introduce us to Pesta, a bit about the band's history, sound, and influences. 

Daniel Rocha: Hey everyone! Anderson and I have been friends for a very long time, and I think around the end of 2013, we decided to sit down and write some original songs, thinking of it as a project just to record an album and put an end to our frustrations with our own original projects (which date back to our adolescence) that never took off. But it ended up working out, and this project ended up giving rise to the band Pesta. Initially as a quartet that recorded the EP Here She Comes (released in early 2015) and then, with the current lineup (Me, Anderson, Marcos, Flávio, and Thiago), as a quintet that recorded our two full albums: Bring Out Your Dead (2016) and Faith Bathed in Blood (2019).

Although Pesta's sound can generally be defined as doom metal or, as some prefer, stoner doom, our sonic references are more varied. Of course, we can't diminish the influence that Black Sabbath and iconic doom metal bands like Trouble , Pentagram , and Cathedral have on our sound. These are bands that introduced us to the path of heavy, dragging music. But there's a lot of 70s hard rock and NWOBHM bands in Pesta's sound. Thiago Cruz give our sound a very 70s feel. In addition, we draw from other references that appear in our sound, such as many stoner rock bands and other elements that approach heavier currents of "old school" metal (there are hints of Celtic Frost and Sarcófago here and there in our sound).

MJ: The band's most recent release was the music video for "Anthropophagic," a track from their second full-length album, Faith Bathed in Blood . What is the concept and context behind the song and the making of the video?

DR: “Anthropophagic” is integrated into the overall theme of our album Faith Bathed in Blood , which is about rituals involving bloodshed. Themes linked to the history of religions, with their myths and rituals, are recurrent in Pesta's lyrics and, somewhat inspired by a book by René Girard called Violence and the Sacred , we thought of this general theme for the album (which even appears in the album's title). Pesta's lyrics are all written by Anderson Vaca (bassist) – we only give some input on general themes and ideas – and have a more descriptive and historical character regarding the themes or events they address. Anthropophagic delves a bit into the world, history, and logic of the anthropophagic rituals of some tribes, which are even part of Brazilian history itself (just ask Bishop Sardinha).

Marcos Resende: And the music video was built around this theme; it was an idea that came up, and we thought we could visually convey some of the weight of the lyrics. Besides, "Anthropophagic" is one of our favorite tracks from the album, and during the recording we were already really enjoying it, and we loved the result. I think it met our expectations and those of our fans as well.

MJ: With two studio albums under their belt, experienced names from the Minas Gerais Metal scene, and growing relevance in the national doom metal scene, the band is increasingly gaining space within the national underground. How do you observe and analyze the development of the (stoner/doom) segment and the general public's acceptance of this field? 

DR: We are possibly living through the best moment for doom metal in Brazil, both in terms of quality and quantity of bands. I remember that in my teens in the 1990s, liking doom metal was something almost alien. People knew very little – some listened to Paradise Lost and sounds more in the doom/death vein – and there was a lot of talk that doom metal was very "boring and slow." Pioneering bands in the style in Brazil, such as The Cross , Serpent Rise , and Mythological Cold Towers, were already making top-quality doom metal here, but the style still had a very limited audience. In recent years, we have felt a greater acceptance and interest from the public in the sound. I wouldn't know exactly how to explain the reasons, but I think the prominence of bands like Electric Wizard and the greater accessibility to new sounds via the internet has opened doors for new generations to become interested in both new and old bands.

Nowadays here in Brazil you have excellent bands from north to south of the country that make a sound of international quality and we are in no way inferior to foreign bands. It would be unfair to mention the outstanding national bands in the genre, but, just to mention a few with whom we have even shared the stage, bands like Son Of A Witch (RN), Erasy (BA), Unholy Outlaw (SP) and our fellow countrymen from The Evil are top-notch doom metal bands.

MJ: The band is part of a still relatively small group of Brazilian stoner/doom bands that have released physical material through foreign labels. In your case, it was the first full-length album, Bring Out Your Dead, released on vinyl by the French label Black Farm Records. How did that happen?

MR: Yes, overcoming that continental barrier isn't easy for most bands, which is also true for Pesta, and when we released Bring Out Your Dead , there was this desire, of course. At the time, we made some contacts, received others, but nothing that was really interesting for the band, until Black Farm contacted us almost a year later and showed interest in doing a vinyl pressing to be released in Europe. We already knew one of the bands on the label, Mephistopheles , a band that really blew everyone away with their first album, so we started the conversation and it was the most dynamic and transparent contact we had, and in a few weeks everything was resolved. It was incredible to receive the 3 versions that came out on vinyl here in our hands. The problem then became another one: bringing some copies to Brazil was tough! (laughs).

MJ: Within the band's history, what are the main events you could point out, distinctive facts, memorable events and festivals, etc.?  

DR: Of course, composing the music is very rewarding, but what we really enjoy is putting on a good show and being part of cool events and festivals. We've had the opportunity to play at sensational events like the Dopesmoke Fest in Feira de Santana, Bahia, where we shared the stage with Brujeria , The Mist , Erasy , and other great bands. We've opened for some international acts like Samsara Blues Experiment and Earthless , and played with Brazilian bands that we've been fans of since we were kids, like Ratos de Porão, Chakal, and The Mist . We always try to have fun and deliver a good show for the audience.

MJ: To conclude, I'd like you to talk a little about the band's intended future, give us a sneak peek at upcoming plans and projects, and leave us with one last message. Thank you! 

DR: Well, during this pandemic period, unfortunately, we were very inactive in terms of rehearsals and, logically, live shows. We took advantage of the situation to do what was possible, such as videos, interviews, and participation in online events. We already have some new material for the next album, but it needs to be polished in rehearsals. I think by September we'll all be vaccinated and things will start to move forward. But the main project is to play live! We're like caged animals desperate to get out. When live shows are allowed again (with all possible safety measures), our goal is to tour the country (and abroad as well) to make up for lost time!

We're the ones who are grateful for the space here on Wikimetal, find Pesta on social media, on streaming services, and soon we'll be back to performing live!

Big hug!