Text written by Luiz Pimentel
Val Santos has been my friend for about 35 years. It's crucial to state this at the beginning of the review for two reasons: 1) it gives me the right to disregard our relationship and not speak to him so as not to be influenced when writing; 2) it gives me the duty to inform you, the reader, so that you know I guarantee honesty in my writing. Having said that, I'm talking about the album 1986 , which he's releasing now.
Val, I'm sorry, but if the intention was to relate the work to the sound we were listening to during the time referred to in the title (the year we met, by the way, and you were more into pyrotechnics – an inside joke about his attempt to set fire to Colégio Rio Branco – than a roadie for Viper), the album's title only conveys half of the final result.
1986 It's a fantastic album, with a capital F. But it emulates heavy metal much more than the core of the decade we lived through, like no one else in the country.
It was immediately after Rock in Rio 1, when Globo reporters tried to label us with the term "metalheads," which we avoided like vampires avoid garlic and crosses, because we considered ourselves (and called ourselves) " headbangers ."
But right off the bat, “Fire” flirts heavily with another new wave of heavy metal, the contemporary American one, led by Lamb of God and the like. Sure, Metallica is well represented in the vocals of Alexandre Grunheidt (not coincidentally the singer of the tribute band, Damage Inc. , and also of Ancesttral ) and on guitar by Andreas' son, Yohan . But let's face it, the greater force lies in the new wave of American metal.
“Cross the Line” follows the melodic path of his time as a drummer with Viper , alongside former Scars member Thiago Oliveira , and fits within the album's title. “Destruction,” with its “Damage Inc.” vibe (the song) finds Anthrax , and despite the arrangements and 21st-century touches of drama, also fits within the 80s package.
But “Dead Words”, even though it was performed by our mutual brother and the one who introduced us, guitarist Felipe Machado , leans more towards Soundgarden , lowering the tuning and praising Black Sabbath in its rhythmic gallop.
“Dreamer”, “Miracle” and “Super Heroes” perfectly capture our discovery of melodic metal when it didn't even have that name yet. Incidentally, who pioneered it first: Helloween or Viper? I believe that brilliant minds think alike and that both were creating a new genre without knowing about each other.
But I'm rambling and getting off-topic. Sorry.
“Dreamer” and “Super Heroes” share the same vocals – Bruno Mariante Gracioli – and the same NWOBHM (now truly the British early eighties) feel in the melodically doubled guitars. Oh, how I wish I had the ability to do that back then.
"Ensanduichada" is (perhaps) the best 80s hard rock cover I've ever heard. "Allied Forces," which was already perfect with Triumph since we first heard it at the "US Festival 83" screenings on Rock Show (I think I saw all the sessions when it aired), gains a freshness with our other brother of metal on bass, Nando Machado , and with Leandro Caçoilo on vocals (by the way, how that guy sings! There's no note he can't reach).
“Savage Hearts” is like a rediscovery of Vivian Campbell Dio days , “Desert of Ideas” similarly follows the dynamics and structure of the eternal Holy Diver in as many variations and cadences as fit into its 5m39s instrumental time, and we close with “Warriors of Metal”.
Okay, Val. That's what we did justice to 1986. It was your answer to Helloween I bet. That was when you had Zuris – you even brought back the vocalist, Mauro Coelho , and also called Marquinhos ( Marcos Klein , currently in Ultraje a Rigor ), who had Exhort with Nando (why on earth weren't you the drummer for that band then?).
All of our 1986 is there. The affirmation that we were/are the warriors of metal, just like Korzus .
You know what this reminds me of? 10 years later (in '86) when we played Rock & Gol as Viper and you were the coach. Ayala in goal, Vadão, Yves, Felipe, Pit, Marquinhos and I on the field and we came in singing the defense of the genre ("Au, au, au, sword of metal" – there must be that on YouTube). And decade after decade you and the brothers of metal mentioned above continue to fill me/us with pride.
What a fantastic album, 1986 ! You didn't just immortalize the decade, you immortalized so much of our lives through music.
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