Text by Marcelo Gomes
The 15th edition of the Setembro Negro Festival took place on September 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th at the Carioca Club in São Paulo. The second day featured Torture Squad , Pugatory , Immolation and more – check out how it went here.
To open the festival, the band Open The Coffin, hailing from Natal (RN), took to the Setembro Negro stage. And what better way to start after lunch than listening to some death metal , right? Vocalist Claudio Nascimento was wielding a skull and a shovel while desecrating Saturday. With a good reception, the guys opened the coffin lid for what was to come.
The Danish band Thorium plays death metal , but it didn't seem to excite much. They aren't very well known here, and combined with the small audience still arriving at the festival, it was perhaps the most lukewarm show of the day.
Violentor metal sung in Italian, they presented songs from their latest work, "Manifesto Di Odio". Despite not being very well known here, the Italian trio received a great reception and drew many mosh pits.
The time has come for Test , a Brazilian duo formed by João Kombi (vocals/guitar) and Barata (drums), who showed why they are a reference within grindcore. They stormed the stage and the audience could feel the fury of their sound, which at certain moments featured more experimental and even doom elements. Another great show.
Our Portuguese brothers from Holocausto Canibal presented their grindcore with hints of death metal to the Brazilian audience. As expected, their sound is quite aggressive and they managed to get some mosh pits going during the show. Even with his thick Portuguese accent, vocalist Ricardo S. managed to entertain the crowd well.
Vulcano delivered one of the festival's special performances. After playing some of the band's classics like "Witch Sabbath" and "Total Destruição," the veterans from Santos were joined by original vocalist Angel to sing songs from their 1986 debut album, "Bloody Vengeance." Angel sang "Dominios Of Death" alongside current vocalist Luiz Carlos Louzada . He then continued solo with "Spirits Of Evil," "Holocaust," and "Incubus." Afterwards, Louzada returned and together they finished the classic "Bloody Vengeance." Those who were there witnessed firsthand an important part of Brazilian metal history.
What can be said about Sadistic Intent ? They perfectly encapsulate the essence of the festival, to say the least. The show delivered unparalleled sonic brutality. Straight from Los Angeles, the band, led by the Cortez , Bay (vocals/bass) and Rick (guitar), played a setlist based on their various EPs that mercilessly assaulted the eardrums of the crowd.
Sacramentum show was also highly anticipated. Nisse Karlén , the band's vocalist, is an intriguing character. As soon as the introduction began, he made movements that caught the audience's attention. His vocals are frighteningly powerful and his stage presence enigmatic. Initially wearing only a vest, he had already taken it off by the second song, due to the intense heat.
Despite its brevity, the setlist based on their three studio albums greatly pleased the fans. The band's performance created an intense wall of sound. A highlight was the presence of Julia Von , which provided the necessary weight to the Swedish band's sound.
As soon as the Italian band Bulldozer took the stage, they immediately won over the audience. They started with "Cut-Throat" and "Insurrection Of The Living Damned." Vocalist and bassist AC Wild, dressed as Dracula, masterfully led the trio's performance.
The band's setlist revisited some of their most iconic songs from their career, such as "Fallen Angel," "Mad Man," and "The Final Separation." The Italians' performance was a masterclass in extreme metal; each song seemed to awaken the most primal feelings in those present, who reacted warmly.
Expectations were huge for Sodom , after all, it had been 10 years since their last visit to Brazil. And the anxiety increased even more due to a 20-minute delay for the stage change. The Carioca Club was at maximum capacity under infernal heat. What I can say is that a true thrash fan shouldn't have missed the show by the Germans, who proved they have secured their place within the global thrash metal scene.
The representatives of the German Big Four brought fire to the stage. Their energy was absolutely insane, and they played their classics with unparalleled ferocity. Those who suspected the show might be lukewarm due to the band's age were surprised by their energy. The return of guitarist Frank Blackfire, along with Yorch (guitar) and Toni (drums), gave the band a new lease on life.
The setlist was a brutal journey through their discography. With a Brazilian flag customized with the band's name on stage, they played classics like "Agent Orange," "Sodomy And Lust," "Sodomized," "Outbreak Of Evil," among others. Guitarist Franck Blackfire often came to the microphone to chat with the fans in Portuguese. In fact, this was one of the highlights of the show; besides an excellent and incredible stage performance, he also communicated very well with the audience. For those who don't know, Blackfire lived in Brazil for several years. And what about Tom Angelripper? The guy continues to deliver his insane bass lines and sings like never before.
The show, which was initially scheduled to last 1 hour, ended up lasting 1 hour and 35 minutes. They also played "Surfin' Bird," a cover known worldwide by the Ramones , and "Iron Fist" by Motörhead . They closed with "Ausgebombt" and "Bombenhagel."
It goes without saying that Sodom remains one of the biggest names in heavy metal, and this show was the consecration of their unwavering legacy.
