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My goal is not to take away anyone's merit, but simply to give credit to some who, among so many others, deserve some recognition. It's difficult to choose only six.”
By Mauricio Oliveira
First of all, I'd like to say that in no way am I saying that any of the reasons I'm going to list here is better than another, or that one band is better than another. I'm sure many different options could easily replace what I'm going to put here, and my goal is not to take away anyone's merit, only to give credit to some who, among so many others, deserve some recognition. It's difficult to choose only six, and I apologize if I'm unaware of/forgotten any details, but I tried to make this list considering different criteria. Let's go.
Six reasons to be proud of Brazilian metal:
1. Sepultura
Let's start with a heavy hitter. Sepultura was the band that showed the world Brazilian metal. Through their international tours, the band travels to countries all over the world, proudly showcasing excellent quality metal made here to every corner of the globe. Nearly 30 years of career and 20 million copies sold worldwide is no small feat. When talking about Brazilian metal abroad, Sepultura is the first name that comes to mind, and that's more than enough reason to be featured here.
2. Stress
The first Brazilian metal band. Formed in the 70s in Belém/PA, they played under the censorship of the time, changing lyrics in their songs to be able to perform them. They certainly influenced many bands that emerged across the country in the following years, and that's a source of pride. Even though they released few albums and went through a period of inactivity, the band is active again today, even opening for Iron Maiden in Belém (2011). Incidentally, Stress is even older than the maiden (by 1 year, but it counts).
3. Korzus
Korzus is another old band that continues to be active, making quality Brazilian thrash metal. These guys are true metal warriors, and that's why I'm so proud of them. I had the pleasure of briefly talking to Pompeu at the airport, and their passion for metal is immense. They're about to celebrate 30 years in the business, they deserve much more recognition than they get, and even playing in a country where this music doesn't have much space, they never give up, releasing excellent albums like their last one from 2010, Discipline of Hate. Pure pride; for me, that's the spirit of metal.
4. Dr. Sin
Since Wikimetal isn't just heavy metal, but also hard rock, I chose Dr. Sin to represent this style. Besides being incredibly talented musicians, the power trio has participated in numerous festivals, has released excellent albums, and plays high-quality hard rock. For anyone who likes the genre, it's impossible not to like this band; they are certainly one of the best in the country.
5. Viper
: Viper is here representing the large number of metal bands that emerged in the 80s along with Korzus, but with a completely different style. In fact, Viper is a source of pride for having made music that was different from what was being done at the time, managing to innovate with its members who were only around 15 years old at the time. It's certainly the result of dedication, passion, and talent. For those who haven't seen Viper or would like to see them again, the suggestion is to take advantage of the 25th-anniversary tour with the band's classic lineup, which Wikimetal is helping to promote.
6. Shadowside
Finally, this band represents the most recent bands that are finding success abroad. And it's a double source of pride, because in addition to showcasing the country on their tours and at festivals overseas, they also feature a female vocalist, demonstrating that Brazil also has women in metal. The success of Shadowside and other newer bands both domestically and internationally only shows that Brazil continues to produce excellent bands and that metal here is strong.
I apologize again to the bands I didn't mention, but there are so many good bands and so much to be proud of that I have to choose only 6. Better than that, instead of saying I'm proud of one band or another, I affirm that I'm proud of Brazilian metal as a whole. We are very well served with bands; all that's missing is a little more recognition. This is still difficult in a country where any other style of music has much more space than metal, but this difficulty only brings even more pride to the bands that face all the problems to do what they love most: metal.
That's it, folks! See you next time!
*This text was written by a Wikimate and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the site's authors.
Click here to see other texts by WikiBrother Mauricio Oliveira.