The second edition of Summer Breeze Brazil has officially begun. In the same location as the first edition, the Memorial da América Latina will host the Brazilian version of the German festival this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the 26th, 27th, and 28th, with an expanded lineup compared to the previous year.
Flotsam & Jetsam
Flotsam & Jetsam show opened the Hot Stage at noon, under a blazing sun. Prior to that, we had Nestor on the adjacent Ice Stage, and Cultura Tres' Clash Bulldog's performed on the Waves Stage.
Because it was an early hour, there weren't many people in the audience watching yet, but the band definitely delivered a performance that deserved to be seen. Full of technique, speed, and power, Flotsam & Jetsam put on a powerful show with a special detail: you could feel the vibrations in the floor at every moment.
With memorable guitar riffs and iconic solos from Michael Gilbert and Steve Conley Billy Bodily 's heavy bass lines Eric A. Knutson 's insane vocals Ken Mary 's heavy drumming , the performance exuded everything that good thrash metal can offer.
An example of this was the performance of "I Live You Die" from No Place For Disgrace (1988), which began with a bass riff that sounded like thunder, blending with the rest of the instruments to make it one of the best songs on the setlist.
Ending in grand style, the band promised to return – and we hope it will be soon.
Edu Falaschi
One of the great advantages of Summer Breeze Brazil is the Hot and Ice Stages. You literally walk a few meters and you're already at the next stage, which is why the intervals between shows are so short.
Edu Falaschi 's show began .
Promoting great interaction with the audience, the fans engaged whenever the vocalist "pulled," even if somewhat timidly in some parts. The entire band is made up of talented musicians.
Very charismatic, he thanked the fans for their presence and spoke about his love for hard rock – a genre he grew up listening to.
One of the most exciting moments was the performance of "Heroes Of Sand" by Angra , released in 2001, on the excellent Rebirth album .
Some other songs from his time in the power metal group were also included in the setlist, such as “Waiting Silence”, from the album Temple Of Shadows (2004), but also from his solo career, such as “Sacrifice”, and the powerful “Eldorado” which names his most recent album, released in 2023.
"The Temple Of Hate" is also a good track to include in the setlist. Besides being a good song, it engaged the audience.
The beautiful power ballad “Bleeding Heart”, from Hunters And Prey (2002), was also well received, with a great performance.
After a technical problem, which Falaschi handled very well with jokes and singing a part of "Pegasus Fantasy" — yes, from Knights of the Zodiac — they played "Rebirth," from the album of the same name, with the guitars at maximum volume, in a performance that was clearly one of the most anticipated by the audience.
Just like "Nova Era," one of the artist's greatest classic phrases in Angra. The song is already energetic in its studio version, but live it's even more striking and powerful.
The setlist features many excellent songs, but the issue is Falaschi's voice. It's possible to notice the vocalist struggling to reach some of the high notes, with his voice even fading out.
Overall, it was a good show, but those parts break the flow of the songs.
Tygers Of Pan Tang
Literally crossing the Latin America Memorial in five minutes, we arrived at the Sunset Stage and at 2:30 PM the show began with one of the best bands of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement, Tygers Of Pan Tang .
Already tearing things up, the band plays "Euthanasia" by The MCA Years , with the impressive vocals of Jacopo Meille , who showed what he was made of in the first moments on stage.
The band delivered a perfectly coordinated performance, and a prime example of this was their rendition of "Only The Brave," from their self-titled 2016 album.
Next came “Fire On The Horizon”, the best – if not the best – track from the band’s latest album Bloodlines (2023), in yet another performance that raised the bar. This album is available on the Wikimetal Store, click here to access it.
Before the vocalist announced the song, he revealed that it was part of the album Ambush (2020), and the audience really liked what they heard, so the band played “Keeping Me Alive”, which features an addictive guitar riff.
Tygers Of Pan Tang is one of those bands that sounds just as good live as it does in the studio. Their chemistry is palpable, and they're a must-listen for anyone who enjoys good old-fashioned heavy metal.
One of the highlights was the classic dynamic where the vocalist sings something and the audience repeats. Is it cliché? Yes, but it gets everyone excited.
The band's show lasted an hour, but it could easily have lasted another half hour, an hour, whatever. The band is truly very talented and they're even better live; it's a shame they don't have as much recognition as other names in the genre.
Exodus
With the sun finally giving way to a break, Exodus delivered a powerful and highly acclaimed opening show, with fans celebrating as soon as the band took to the Ice Stage.
With their characteristic fast and powerful sound, the group started off with full force. “And Then, There Were None” and “Piranha” are two tracks for fans of Bonded By Blood , from 1984, and before we could even think about it, a mosh pit was already happening.
“Brain Dead”, by Pleasures Of Flash , also deserves to be highlighted. With a beautiful bass riff by Jack Gibson , the song starts off in true thrash metal style.
One of Exodus' greatest qualities is their impressive technical skill. The band features musicians who understand exactly what to do and how to do it, resulting in a show that will please any metal fan.
With each song that vocalist Steve Souza announced, the fans cheered, and "A Lesson In Violence" was no different, featuring an exceptional guitar solo. Another track from the fan-favorite Bonded By Blood .
The band delivered a very good performance for their fans, as they are already known for. When asked if the fans were ready to go back to 1989, they played "Fabulous Disaster," the song that shares the same name as the album.
When talking about Exodus, it's impossible not to mention Gary Holt . The guitar legend delivers a truly impressive, outstanding performance.
At the end of the band's show, their tour of Brazil also comes to an end, a tour that also included stops in Curitiba and Belo Horizonte. They delivered a performance filled with classic hits that definitely left a lasting impression on the fans who had the opportunity to see them.
Our contributor Leca Suzuki captured the shows with exclusive photos that you can see in the gallery below.
