And the same story repeated itself throughout the country, with kids transforming their dreams into bands, exchanging cassette tapes, unpicking the sleeves of their denim jackets, writing on old typewriters and distributing their fanzines, shouting and joining a new legion at the doors of record stores and at the shows of new and honest Brazilian bands, and becoming part of a sincere history.”
By Micka Michaelis (*)
I can't understand how a teenager can dislike rock music.
Other musical styles have their own characteristics, but for me, only rock allows for an association with freedom, rebellion, "testosterone explosion," in short, elements that make us feel young forever.
My brother Julio Michaelis Jr. (4 years older than me) was the one who instilled that mindset in me. I saw his excitement when talking to his friends about that sound of Purple, Slade, and how he cherished that almost impossible-to-find photo of Plant and the early Judas Priest.
In the late 70s, right at the emergence of the NWOBHM, I was already hooked. And I discovered that a new generation was forming with the same desires. In rock halls, with imaginary guitars, the crowd reveled in the experience, transporting themselves to a universe far removed from our reality, because there was nothing like it here. Our guitar references at that time were Pepeu Gomes, Armandinho from Trio Elétrico… talented… but not Blackmore!
It was when I read in an imported magazine about new English bands (Maiden, Tigers of Pantang, Angelwitch among so many other cool ones) and saw a tiny photo of a band of teenagers who were recording an album.
It was Def Leppard!
And my brother took me to a rock band rehearsal in Santos: it was Vulcano!
I thought: if they can do it, so can I! At that moment I felt an electricity wash over me. I'm going to learn to play guitar, start a band, and record an album.
And so it was…
And the same story repeated itself throughout the country, with kids turning their dreams into bands, trading cassette tapes for other cassette tapes containing new sounds and lots of joy, unpicking the sleeves of their denim jackets, writing on old typewriters and distributing their fanzines, shouting and joining a new legion at the doors of record stores and at the shows of new and honest Brazilian bands, and becoming part of a sincere history.
These are the kinds of feelings I hope to convey to everyone in our film:
Brasil Heavy Metal.
A film, a dream.
A declaration of love for Brazilian metal.
You are part of this story!
(*) Ricardo Micka Michaelis is the creative director of the production company IDEIA HOUSE , former guitarist and composer of the band Santuário, formed in 1982 in São Vicente, and director of the feature film BRASIL HEAVY METAL .
