Summer Breeze Brasil began last Friday, the 26th, at the Memorial da América Latina in São Paulo. Featuring a large number of artists, the second edition of the festival continues through the weekend, on the 27th and 28th.
Check out the reviews of the shows by Flotsam & Jetsam, Edu Falaschi, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Exodus , Sebastian Bach, Mr. Big and Gene Simmons here.
Nervous
After a stylish debut, the second day began early, at the same time as the previous one. At 11 am, Nervosa took to the Ice Stage, with a larger audience than seen on Friday. One thing in common was the heat. The sun at that time offered no respite, but even that didn't hinder the band's performance.
Already well-known within the thrash metal scene, the all-female band is famous for its heavy sound and truly talented instrumentalists. The show was intense from beginning to end, with few pauses to breathe, even with technical problems, as frontwoman Prika Amaral mentioned at one point during the show. A special moment of the performance was when the band invited vocalist Mayara Puertas , from Torture Squad , to the stage for a special guest appearance before "Kill The Silence," from Downfall Of Mankind (2018), a highlight of the setlist, featuring a fast guitar riff, powerful drum lines, and technical skill.
Another example of the talent of the Nervosa instrumentalists is "Venomous," which, even before they started playing, had a fan shouting the song's name.
At one point, the lead singer's guitar string broke, and since she didn't have another one, she continued the rest of the show with just the vocals. Was that a problem? Definitely not.
Currently formed by Amaral (vocals and guitar), Helena Kotina (guitar), Hel Pyre (bass) and the newest member, Gabriela Abud (drums), the band delivers an exceptional performance, thrilling fans and prompting chants of the band's name in the middle of the songs.
But that's not all. It's clear that they know exactly what they're doing, being one of the best thrash metal groups in Brazil, and already making their mark on the history of international metal.
This was another Summer Breeze show that could have lasted longer. Ending in the same explosive way they started, the band bid farewell to the audience.
Gamma Ray
Gamma Ray 's show Forbidden performed on the twin stage next to the Ice Stage . Back on the same stage as Nervosa, the German band started their set at 1:10 PM, opening with the excellent "Land Of The Free," which had the audience singing along.
“Rebellion In Dreamland” was also very well received. Featuring powerful drum lines, in addition to good guitar riffs, the song had people singing along during the chorus, sharing vocals with Frank Beck Henjo Richter 's solos , which made the audience want to headbang, in a melodic and rhythmic way.
Gamma Ray's show brings together all the classic elements of power metal and the things that fans of the genre love most. The band's elements align and complement each other in extremely melodic and harmonious songs. When the band members come together to do backing vocals, the result is a pleasant listening experience.
“The Silence”, from Heading for Tomorrow (1990), is a beautiful ballad, and an example of this is when Hansen is responsible for singing the lower parts, while the lead vocalist unleashes his voice in an emotional way, in a performance where all the elements align perfectly.
The guitar duo deserves to be praised. Delivering iconic riffs and grandiose solos, they work together in unison and deliver very good chords.
“Heaven Can Wait”, also from Heading for Tomorrow, deserves special mention within the band's performance. It's an upbeat song, with a lively groove and a phenomenal solo.
Gamma Ray's show can be described as popular. Power metal is a style that doesn't have many branches or different elements, but even so, it's not tiring. In a show that lasted around 1 hour and 15 minutes, the band managed their time well and demonstrated all the power of classic metal.
Angra
Angra 's show came next, but now on the Hot Stage. The interval between the shows on the two main stages is five minutes, but this isn't a problem, since they are located next to each other.
After some technical difficulties during the introduction, the Brazilian group started the show a little later than planned, and from the first chords, it's easy to understand why Angra is the biggest national band in the genre. Bruno Valverde Felipe Andreoli 's bass , which together make the ground tremble with the purest power of metal.
But it's not just the two musicians who exemplify technique and experience. The guitar duo Rafael Bittencourt and Marcelo Barbosa — who create a unique experience with each solo and riff — along with vocalist Fabio Lione , also deliver a top-notch performance.
During ballad-like moments, such as in "Tide Of Changes – Part II" from the band's most recent album, Cycles Of Pain (2023), Lione's voice becomes a major highlight, being soft at times and powerful at others.
Valverde once again demonstrated his strength in the first track of the album Secret Garden (2013), “Newborn Me”.
“Vida Seca” is a song with a great unique quality and was included in the setlist. The collaboration with Lenine brings Brazilian elements, combined with metal, in an explosion of musicality that is even more beautiful live.
Who doesn't love classics? "Rebirth," from the 2001 album of the same name, began with Bittencourt delivering a beautiful introduction, and as soon as the sung part started, the audience took over, singing the track at the top of their lungs.
It's impossible not to get excited by "Carry On". An absolute hit from Angels Cry (1993), the track thrilled the audience, and was followed by "Nova Era", from the album Rebirth , thus concluding Angra's performance at the second edition of Summer Breeze Brasil.
The quintet delivered a fine performance, truly impressive for its precision.
Lacuna Coil
Italian metal powerhouse Lacuna Coil brought the action back to the Ice Stage, with the sun shining on their faces. Sporting a memorable look, the band energized the crowd the moment they stepped onto the stage.
One detail about the sound the group makes is the fact that it features two vocalists, Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro .
While her voice is smooth and reaches impressive high notes, his is guttural, rough, and strong, like an experiment of complete opposites, but which fit together and make the tracks unique.
“Trip the Darkness”, from Dark Adrenaline (2012), is a great track to include in the setlist, as is “Apocalypse”, from Black Anima (2019), which, in addition to the dynamic between the vocalists — which brings a lot of emotion — also features a beautiful guitar solo.
But nothing compares to “Heaven's A Lie”, from Comalies (2002), when Scabbia once again uses all the emotion she can muster, in a harmonious ballad.
Before playing “Our Truth,” the vocalist teased the audience with her signature “oh-oh,” which is easy to recognize. Once again, her performance impresses, especially in the aforementioned section, where she has total and complete control of her voice. Another highlight is the powerful bass riff played by Marco Coti Zelati .
Lacuna Coil delivers a powerful and potent show, with heavy songs that are still melodic and enjoyable to listen to.
The band has a series of beautiful ballads, remarkable for not losing their identity. The group delivers a truly powerful experience, with a great combination of instruments and elements that complement each other well.
Brazilian fans had the opportunity to hear "In The Meantime," the band's new song, live for the first time. It's a beautiful track.
Nearly twenty years ago, they released a cover version of "Enjoy the Silence," originally by Depeche Mode . In a slower, more powerful, and less upbeat version, this is for those unfamiliar with the band, as it's a globally known song.
Besides being an excellent band in the studio, Lacuna Coil is just as good live. It's definitely an essential show for any metal fan, delivering performances faithful to what you hear in the studio. Cristina Scabbia is a complete outlier. Her voice is beautiful, even more moving to hear live.
Our contributor Leca Suzuki captured the shows with exclusive photos that you can see in the gallery below.
