Man, 20 years are really transforming. Best experiences were
certainly travelling around the world and meeting and playing to new people.
Worst experiences might be about a shit part of the „music business“. Hopefully
I can stay away more and more from that shit.
I have no nostalgia of the old days. It was great then, it
is great now. I make it. Great is where I am now, I will make it great
whenever. Of course it is different with regards to technology. Things are much
faster now. But the things that are human, like greed, passion, so on, these
never change.
Current line-up is stable with me, Leon Manssur on the
guitar and vocals, Vinicius Canabarro on the bass, since 2003, and Pedro Rocha
in the drums from 2001-2007 and 2013-now. Vinicius is also singer in Atomic
Roar, a band already on their third album now. Pedro is from Farscape and
Whipstriker. He is a professional drummer/teacher and has a lot of bands and
projects aside of metal.
What can you tell us about the upcoming new record called
„The Pentagram“ musically ? I have read
that it includes new songs , but older ones that were written some years ago as
well, is that correct ? With which topics deal the lyrics ? In general, do you
think that the lyrics of metal bands are important or more a decorative
accessory ?
All our albums contain songs from a vast time span. We
mature some ideas really fast like in one night, others sit on the shelf for
years until we give it some thought and polish. So the album is again a result
of this process of choosing what fits best, what sounds best.
The lyrics are as usual, well, metal. Of course they get more personal as we grow older, to the point of being autobiographic. But I don‘ t want to sound like a grumpy old metalhead, I’m putting on the record things I believe they would matter to someone. I hate to do cliché for the sake of cliché. I use clichés a lot but I like it better when there is some food for thought even in simpler Songs.
Will you promote the new record with some live gigs, maybe
in Europe as well? And what can you tell us about the past live gigs: With
which kind of bands did you play live and / or Apokalyptic Raids have been on
tour with? Some special memories? In which countries did you have the best
experiences and the best audience?
The lyrics are as usual, well, metal. Of course they get more personal as we grow older, to the point of being autobiographic. But I don‘ t want to sound like a grumpy old metalhead, I’m putting on the record things I believe they would matter to someone. I hate to do cliché for the sake of cliché. I use clichés a lot but I like it better when there is some food for thought even in simpler Songs.
We are doing some local shows for the rest of 2018. Europe
maybe in 2019. We can’t stay away from Europe that much. We played with all
kinds of bands in Brazil and in Europe. We toured Europe twice with Whipstriker
and Farscape, we have a nice co-operation with them. Touring with friends is
always great, everybody is looking after each other, so we really don’t have
any problems. Every country is different but concerning some aspects it’s everywhere
the same. Some audiences are more analytic, some others are crazy... Czech
Republic, Colombia and Germany will never be forgotten. But we had really cool
surprises even in cold Sweden or in Bolivia. London was terrific but France was
so great also. Chile is, sorry Brazil, the best in South America. But then
there is São Paulo, our second home, North/Northeast Brazil with the most
passionate headbangers... I’m sorry if it sounds like Manowar lyrics but it is
all true.
Of course the Hellhammer-influences are obvious, but
listening to your albums I think that Apokalyptic Raids become more individual
and indepently with the third album „The third storm“, while the first two
albums sound more like a total Hellhammer-worship. Do you agree, and if you
agree, has this been a conscious decisision or more a natural development ?
Yes. It has been both. We have noticed by then that things
were starting to have a face of their own. We did not force it, nor we cut it
out. We have just let things develop naturally. If we see some thing has worked
right, then we would go again in that direction, like with epic songs every now
and then... Or the punkish songs, or the heavy metal songs. I love bands like
Hallows Eve which can go from heavy to death metal in one album and still sound
original. We can always correct the direction from album to album. „The
Pentagram“ has a more direct and simple approach, we choose a „back to basics“
thing. Both in form and in contents. But with all the mature stuff living
together with the more spontaneous material.
Most people from Europe know bands such as Sepultura,
Krisiun, Sarcofago, Vulcano, Mystifier, Ratos de Porao, Korzus, Headhunter D.C.
,Sextrash and Violator (and APOKALYPTIC RAIDS of course as well) when it comes
to more extreme sounds from Brazil. Can you recommend some other, less know or
total underground bands from Brazil or your local area ?
I’m suspect but I would recommend Vinicius‘ band Atomic
Roar, they did a terrific 3rd album now. It was out nearly at the same time as Virgin’s
Vomit, and Diabolic Force’s return. Also there is Cult of Horror, and the also
well known Grave Desecrator... There are some acts in Portuguese language you
should check, like Flagelador, Cemiterio, Velho. This year we saw two new
releases that I loved, Tyranno’s debut and Into the Cave‘s 2nd Album.
You come from Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of
Brazil: Are there lots of good possibilities for metal bands concerning live
gigs ? Is there a huge metal scene and did you notice some differences between
your local metal scene and the european scene (or the scene of a special
european country) concerning behaviour, preference in styles and musical taste
etc. ?
Concerning Rio’s possibilities- no, there aren’t any! Rio is
totally dead with regards to metal places. There are a lot of bands and there
will always be. But the tourist areas are expensive and dangerous, and the
slums are just dangerous. The minds are ok, there is a public, even if Rio
favours some horrible trendiness, anyway there are bands, but we lack the very
structure of places and services to do our stuff. If we rent a place and
backline in Rio, we should expect to pay high prices and receive shit
equipment. So we prefer to go to São Paulo (six hours on the road, which, for
Americans is the definition of „close“) or Belo Horizonte.
Which periods of Celtic Frost do you like and which ones
don’t you like ? Do you like the releases by Tryptikon ?
A couple of tracks from „Into The Pandemonium“, and
everything before that. After those: nothing. Can’t stand the industrial/gothic
stuff, can’t stand the downtuning ruining the riffs. I’m not obliged to
continue „liking“ everything they do for the sake of continuity. There are some
of their releases that really stand against all that I believe and like. So
nothing post-1987. Not a thing.
What do you think (and feel) is the reason for the huge
fascination of Hellhammer that metal heads from all around the globe still feel
after all these years ? Which are your favourite Hellhammer-worshipping bands ?
The great Warhammer from Germany maybe ? Do you know the Swiss band Matterhorn
(if not you should listen to immediately ) ?
I think there is a sum of factors... Mixing Motorhead with
Venom and Sabbath one can never go wrong! I think Hellhammer could be
classified as early death metal but there is speed, black, heavy, doom, and
scandinavian hardcore... Even hints of (some weird kinda) epic NWOBHM. So the
question is: how can anyone not like it at all? A guitar tone so deep, a bass
so powerful and full of low frequency, drums that sound like wood, dirty
cymbals, agonizing vocals... Well at least that is how it works for myself. I
love most Hellhammer-worshipping bands. It is interesting to say that each one
of them has an approach and a sound of their own within the limits of the
style. I love to see different compositions in such a simple style. It is hard
to sound relevant with 2 chords, you know? But they do. There are more raw
earlier bands like Slaughter and Post Mortem and NME, to more technical bands
not 100% worshipping but heavily influenced like Obituary or Pentacle or
Usurper, to 2000’s Nordic Mist, Gallhammer, and more raw bands of today... I
love them all, can’t choose one. Of course I love Warhammer, have all their
albums, and one highlight of our career was to play with them in Brazil and in
Germany. Thanks for Matterhorn, nice band, I’m hearing it now!
Can you tell us more about the current social and political
situation in Brazil ? Who actually governs the state ? Is there a high unemployment
rate ?
Who runs every state? Crime. But here the things are
alarming, society is always on the verge of breaking down. We are probably not
going to be the next Venezuela, but our curse is to be forever halfway there.
Education, employment, security and health indexes are critical. Lots of no-go
areas. False dilemmas about right wing or left wing, when in the end they are
just demagogic, populist mobs, at war with each other.
The last words are yours……
Thanks for the interview! Deathdoom forever... Please take
time to check out our new album and let us know if it was worth... www.apokalypticraids.com
and www.apokalypticraids.bandcamp.com