After two years of preparation, the City of Rock officially opens its doors to host more than 750 acts throughout the seven days of the event. Known as Metal Day, the third day of the event brought to the Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, in Barra da Tijuca, that already familiar crowd dressed in black, with cool looks and all the rock'n'roll attitude.
Present at the last two editions of Rock in Rio, in 2019 and 2022, the Supernova Stage celebrates national bands from the underground scene, and on Metal Day it hosted performances worthy of a World Stage. There were four performances by established and up-and-coming bands from the national rock and metal scene.
Starting things off, The Mönic invited Eskröta , bands composed mostly of women who seek to win over this audience, giving more visibility to women in rock, the most anticipated act of Rock in Rio 2024 according to Wikimetal readers. The performance was warm, early on, bringing together many people who rocked out and long-time fans who sang along to all the songs. It's worth remembering that both bands will also perform at another major festival, Knotfest Brasil.
A few hours later, the rising star of Brazilian metal took to the stage to further energize the crowd. Black Pantera performed for the second time at Rock in Rio, bringing their blend of metal, punk, and hardcore with anti-racist lyrics. The group from Minas Gerais once again established themselves as one of the best acts of the festival, exuding energy and making the audience experience what a true rock 'n' roll show is all about.
Throughout the day, other national bands presented wonderful shows, such as Paralamas do Sucesso on the Palco Mundo stage and Barão Vermelho on the Palco Sunset stage, performing their classics and making the veteran audience feel nostalgic. Another highly anticipated show was Planet Hemp featuring Pitty on the Palco Sunset stage, which had everyone singing along and became another highlight of the day.
Returning to the Supernova Stage, the already established band Crypta once again proved the power of Brazilian death metal, showing that the style draws a legion of fans to the festival – as seen on a poster: “Crypta is my religion”. Starting the night at Rock in Rio, the quartet once again delivered their heavy performance, drawing a large crowd despite Planet Hemp's show happening simultaneously. People passing by stopped to check out the performative show, which, in addition to its heaviness, carried a strong message. Many there were seeing Crypta for the first time and were surprised.
Closing the Supernova stage performances, the veterans of Dead Fish delivered the energy and heaviness we've come to expect. Despite numerous technical issues during the shows, the Supernova Stage was created to showcase heavier sounds and, above all, to reveal more underground bands from Brazil, and it masterfully fulfilled its purpose. For the next edition, may they bring new names that also deserve recognition in the scene.
READ ALSO: Bruce Dickinson reveals that Rock in Rio 1985 was the best: “Atmosphere of chaos”
