Text by Patricia C. Figueiredo
The capital of Rio Grande do Sul hosted another edition of Matanza Fest on the 25th, this time bringing together the bands Black Pantera , Comunidade Nin-Jitsu and, of course, Matanza Ritual . The show took place at Bar Opinião and drove the audience wild.
Black Panther
The miners from Black Pantera made a worthy return to Porto Alegre since their last visit, when they played a somewhat secret and intimate show that few people knew about. Having, just in October, been the opening act for the legendary group Living Colour and played to an audience of 30,000 people at Knotfest, Black Pantera finally took the stage at Opinião, and very deservedly so.
Opening the show with "Provérbios," the trio took the stage in front of a somewhat shy audience at first, but by the second song, "Boom," they had started to loosen up, and by the third and well-known "Padrão é O Caralho," they were completely captivated by the thrash-infused sound with rap influences and plenty of groove.
The band kept the energy high, reaching peaks with the moment when everyone crouched down before jumping and headbanging during "Fogo Nos Racistas" (Fire on the Racists). Furthermore, the audience beautifully sang along to the lyrics of "Tradução" (Translation). The crowd remained energetic until the end of the set, with some moshing, especially during the song "Revolução é o Caos" (Revolution is Chaos).
With lyrics that criticize a racist society, Black Pantera's show in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul is an affront to the reality of a region suffering from social inequality and which, unfortunately, still clings to colonial supremacist ideals. On the other hand, the audience was extremely receptive and enjoyed every second from beginning to end, showing that the alternative scene still has a genuine group of people willing to defend the rebellious and revolutionary essence of metal.
Nin-Jitsu Community
In stark contrast, the evening continued with a show by the gaucho band Comunidade Nin-Jitsu. I believe many haven't heard much about this band these days. Comunidade Nin-Jitsu had its heyday between the late 90s and early 2000s, and greatly excited teenagers of the time with their humorous lyrics about sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll shenanigans.
Nowadays the shows are more sporadic, but the band's DNA remains the same, and the show at Matanza Fest was like a trip back in time; I felt like I was 15 years old again.
The guys arrived with a bang, starting with the classic "Detetive," and then delivered an iconic sequence with "Não aguento Mais," "Melô do Analfabeto," and "Ejaculação Precoce," immediately showcasing the band's first two albums. In other words, the audience started enjoying themselves wildly and surely recalled summers on the coast of Rio Grande do Sul around the year 2000, when the band was at its peak.
The sound of Comunidade Nin-Jitsu is a fusion of hardcore with rap and many samples of funk and even electronic music. This mix makes the band an icon of Rio Grande do Sul rock that never goes out of style, which was clear from the enthusiasm the audience maintained throughout the setlist, which also included "Merda de Bar" and "Ah Eu To Sem Erva".
Ritual Slaughter
And then it was the turn of the headliners and festival owners to arrive and tear it up. Matanza Ritual took the stage with the famous trio of songs “O Chamado do Bar”, “Meio Psicopata” and “Remédios Demais”, which already gave away everything the band was willing to do. It was here that the temperature at Opinião rose too high and the heat spread in such a way that even the air conditioners couldn't cope anymore. The pushing and shoving was intense!
With the audience completely wild and enjoying the show, the band played classics like "Carvão, Enxofre e Salitre" (Coal, Sulfur and Saltpeter), "O Último Bar" (The Last Bar) and "Pé na Porta e Soco Na Cara" (Foot in the Door and Punch in the Face). A setlist that included the main hits, but the band also found a moment to play "Um Paciente Secreto" (A Secret Patient), a song from their new album which is still in the works.
To end the night, there was no shortage of “A Mulher Diabo” (The Devil Woman) and the tragic anthem “Ela Roubou Meu Caminhão” (She Stole My Truck). I doubt anyone will ever be disappointed by a Matanza Ritual show, and that certainly wasn't the case at this one. The guys closed the festival with an exhausted, devastated, but extremely happy audience. In fact, they unleashed all their demons and left very satisfied.
