Tuesday 30 July 2013

A Fist in the Face of God presents... Time To Kill Your God - A Mix by Victor Whipstriker

So there I was, racking my brain for a theme for my latest radio show, when out of nowhere I got an email from my Brazilian metal brother, Victor Whipstriker, sharing me a track from his upcoming LP, Troopers Of Mayhem. I was naturally pretty psyched at this offering of fresh flesh, but I thought 'Hey, wait a sec. Couldn't this guy do a pretty serious Brazilian mix and in turn help me out of this cyclical chasm of what to play on my next show?" So I asked him, and he sent me a list of tracks back within the hour. Another hour later and he wrote up all the bands, both new and old, featured in his 20-track mix.

Victor, unless you missed the interview on here some time ago, fronts not only the god-crushing metalpunk band, Whipstriker, but also the now-defunct Diabolic Force, while handling bass and occasionally vocal duties also for Atmoic Roar. He's also played live with a bunch of killer bands. Basically, the guy is fast becoming a Rio metal legend and his mix reflects that.

So, without me rabbeting on too much, here—straight from War Town, Brazil—are Victor's words on his picks for his mix. Enjoy. Oh, btw, check out this 'report' from the recording of his new record.
Bestial Wishes
OLD BANDS:
Sepultura
The old Sepultura is great. They released the best Brazilian stuffs in my opinion. I love the four first stuffs. Bestial Devastation and Morbid Visions are totally raw and have a crude sound. There's no words to describe Schizophrenia and Beneath The Remains. This last is the best Brazilian stuff of all times for me. After that they release one good album (Arise), then they become a ridiculous-commercial-shit.

Sarcófago
Sarcófago was born in Hell. Like Sepultura they came from the Land of Death—Belo Horizonte. The 80's scene in Belo Horizonte describes the Brazilian sound—poor people, raw songs, and attitude. It was hard (and still is) to be a headbanger in Catholic Brazilian cities. I got crazy when I saw the INRI LP for sale for the very first time. It's the Brazilian (and maybe South American) sound.

Ratos De Porão
RDP is my favourite crust/punk band from Brazil. They were born in Sao Paulo, not in Belo Horizonte, but like the metal scene in Belo Horizonte, Sao Paulo's punk scene was totally insane—poor people, junkies, dealers, thieves, and working class. The punks from Sao Paulo in 1981/1982 were a mix of this kind of people, the members of Ratos De Porão too.

Dorsal Atlântica
They came from my city, Rio de Janeiro. This band, together with Ratos De Porão, was the main influence for Sepultura. I like too much the three first stuffs. Raw heavy metal meets punk.

Holocausto
Also from the Land of Death, Belo Horizonte. The words for Sarcófago can be applied to Holocausto.

Vulcano
Listen and make your conclusions. They have the same sound of other Brazilian bands. They are from Sao Paulo.

Mutilator
You know enough about Belo Horizonte's scene.

Nocturnal Worshipper
This band is from Rio de Janeiro. They started in 1991, I guess. In that time was totally hard to record an official stuff in Brazil. Nocturnal Worshipper was a cult band that plays a mix of Bathory, Sarcófago, Mayhem, and Darkthrone. They release one demo, one 7" EP, and finally one album in 2001. The album has a different line-up. They were a power trio in 1991. After 10 years they were five. But all the songs from the album were composed by the singer Leonardo. He didn't record the album, unfortunately.

Besthöven
It's strange because they were born in 1990 and I only knew Besthöven some years ago. I liked since the first chord I heard. It's like a mixing of early Anti-Cimex, Crude S.S., and Discharge, but played in Brazilian raw way. They are from Gama, a poor suburban city around the capital of Brazil.

Taurus
Taurus is a good thrash metal band from Rio de Janeiro. In my opinion there is only one good stuff, the first album. Indeed, the songs are not very, very good, but it's meaningful because they are part of my early days in heavy metal. They sing in Portuguese and the lyrics sounds good for our ears, nothing special for European people, that's why nobody know this band around the world. But it has a meaning for me and probably for many Brazilian headbangers.

NEW BANDS:
Power From Hell
Nowadays they are my favourite Brazilian band. And I'm proud because we released a split together. I knew Power From Hell before they released the first stuff. They recorded a very, very ultra raw album and sent to Leon from Apokalyptic Raids in 2003 or 2004. Leon showed me before send to the label that was releasing our bands that time (Dark Sun Records). There was some rumours that they record it in a old answering machine. Even now I don't know if it's true. I only know I love all the stuffs. It's for ULTRA DIE-HARD HEADBANGERS who likes early Bathory stuffs.

Apokalyptic Raids
It was 1999. Me and my friends were 13 years old and we were in our homes listening to a local radio. This radio had a special hour for heavy metal bands. We had no internet that time (fuck Brazil), so we used to know new bands in this radio and in local stores. I remember Apokalyptic Raids was releasing the first demo and the guy played some songs on that night. We felt in love because in 1999 nobody was playing 80's sound in Brazil and especially in Rio de Janeiro. All the bands were into extreme death metal or black metal. Well, on October 07, 2000 we played the first Farscape show in Rio. Leon, the singer of Apokalyptic Raids, was there and he came to talk to me: "Fucking great show. Do you have stuffs to trade?" After that we started a solid friendship and we are brothers in arms. Our drummer recorded two albums in Apokalyptic Raids and Leon produced many stuffs of our bands (Farscape, Diabolic Force, and Atomic Roar). I feel I'm part of Apokalyptic Raid's history too. I remember the first rehearsal that they played this song "THE ATHEIST". I don't need to explain their sound—just look to the band's name.

Grave Desecrator
Fucking death/black metal from the deep underground. Cult band from Rio de Janeiro. They are also my brothers and we use to get drunk together in weekends. Keep your eyes on this band.

Flageladör
A great mixing of thrash and traditional heavy/speed metal from Rio de Janeiro. They have a special meaning for me cause they sing in Portuguese. It's hard to find good bands that sing in Portuguese. We played many shows together since 2001. Armando Exekutor, the singer/guitar, played guitar in Whipstriker stuffs and shows. Together with Apokalyptic Raids and Grave Desecrator, they are part of DIE-HARD crew from Rio de Janeiro. Hail!

Beast Conjurator
New death/black metal band from the northeast city Recife. We knew these guys since the first Farscape Brazilian tour. Great riffs, great vocals. There's no bands like them in Brazil. I mean, there's no bands playing this kind of sound. They are different of Grave Desecrator, they're less extreme and more into the early death/black metal vibe.

Violator
Everybody knows Violator nowadays. They are great guys and play a very fucking speed thrash metal. I have to say, they play the best live gig I have seem in my life. They are savage like Sepultura in Beneath The Remains era. You can only understand it if you watch the show. It's impossible to keep stopped. Invite them to play in your city now! And the best [part], They are totally against the mainstream ideas. They don't want to prostitute their selves to be part of a big label. Special band.

Nuclëar Fröst
I knew Nuclear Frost when I was searching for a drummer to play in some Whipstriker's gigs. It was 2009 and the metalpunk wave was starting in Brazil. I heard their extreme war-crust-metal-punk and I decided invite Thomas, the drummer, to play. They are amazing. We also have a solid friendship and we played many shows together in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. The vocals seems coming from the sewer or primitive cave. It's a girl on the vocal. Gabi is great! Listen the noise!

Defy
Together with Nuclëar Fröst they are the best Brazilian crust band. Their gigs are totally insane. The lyrics are in Portuguese but it's impossible to understand because the singer do an amazing guttural vocal. They talk about political subjects. This song is about vivisection. I'm also vegetarian (like them), so I give all my support to this band. Great friends too.

Demonthor
This is a one-man-band created by Leonardo, that old singer of Nocturnal Worshipper. He released two stuffs with Demonthor and now he's lost. Some rumours say that he become a tramp and he's living on the streets with dealers and prostitutes. Nobody know where he is. I love this band. Man, what a guitar sound!!! The riffs are also amazing. The drums was recorded piece by piece, there's no drummer player in real time (funny). For me this is a Brazilian lost-stuff. Nobody knows this band. It's totally cult, only for extreme die-hard fans. It's a mixing of Venom and early Bathory.

Infamous Glory
Death metal band from Sao Paulo. Great stuffs in vein of early Swedish death metal. Nobody plays this kind of sound in Brazil.
Vic with the Flageladör and Violator guys
 OLD BANDS:
1. Sepultura "Escape to the Void" (1987)
2. Sarcófago "Satanic Lust" (1987)
3. Ratos De Porão "Crucificados pelo Sistema" (1984)
4. Dorsal Atlântica "HTLV-3" (1986)
5. Holocausto "Campo de Extermínio" (1987)
6. Vulcano "Witches Sabbath" (1984)
7. Mutilator "Evil Conspiracy" (1986)
8. Nocturnal Worshipper "Cold Mist of Funeral Empire" (2001)
9. Besthöven "Life in Hell" (2004)
10. Taurus "Mundo em Alerta" (1986)

NEW BANDS:
11. Power From Hell "The True Metal" (2004)
12. Apokalyptic Raids "The Atheist" (2003)
13. Grave Desecrator "Black Vengeance" (2010)
14. Flageladör "Cruzada ao Lado de Satã" (2006)
15. Beast Conjurator "Torment in Darkness" (2013)
16. Violator "Futurephobia" (2010)
17. Nuclëar Fröst "Dark Bomb Metal Punk Squad" (2010)
18. Defy "Parem a Vivissecção" (2010)
19. Demonthor "Miss on the Altar" (2002)
20. Infamous Glory "Night Hunger" (2013)

Tuesday 16 July 2013

Maniac Monday XXXVII - A Fist in the Face of God 1980-2009

YES. I had a blast doing yesterday's show and here it is. As I find myself now a year older, I decided to play a track from each year I've been alive, right up until today. However, I couldn't really fit it all in so it goes up 'til 2009. I am sure previous shows won't have you pining for those missing years.
Back for a third show this month on July 29th, so keeping sharpening those swords. 'til then...

Sunday 7 July 2013

Maniac Monday XXXVI - Heavy Metal Mania IV—Speed Metal Supremacy

ALRIGHT. It felt apt to do another Heavy Metal Mania show so soon again mainly due to me being inundated with mixes of the heavy/speed metal variety. Thanks again to Anna Hallstrom for her two mixes—three tracks off each feature in the second half-hour—and like I mention in the show, if you want one of them uploaded just say which. If one of them gets, say, five or more requests I will do so.
I will be back on July 15th for more madness so don't forget to tune in then.

Wednesday 3 July 2013

Terror Dimension

Brain Dead (1990) Adam Simon (USA)
I watched this movie for the first time a month or so ago and was pretty much blown away not only by how good it was, but how unknown it is considering its cast. True, the first half hour or so is a bit wobbly production-wise, and admittedly I almost turned it off at one point as it seemed a bit thrown together, but it was well worth watching all the way through and I can't wait to watch it again soon. If you like 80s Twilight Zone then this should be right up your aisle.