Rest in peace, Paul Di’Anno, the lead vocalist for Iron Maiden from 1978 to 1981. Though his time with the band was brief, Iron Maiden is approaching 50 years of music and still has much ahead. Like Di’Anno, who was half-Brazilian and half-British, the heavy metal genre embodies a unique Brazilian borogodó.
The origins of heavy metal are still widely discussed, particularly when comparing bands like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple with Black Sabbath from Birmingham. The distortion, power chords, and aggressive guitar playing styles of these bands echoed the machinery and factory life of their cities, shaping their sound. Black Sabbath’s roots in Birmingham contributed to their darker sound, while Led Zeppelin (with Black Country stalwart, Robert Plant on lead vocals) and Deep Purple added a blues fusion to their mix. Together, they are known as the “unholy trinity” of heavy metal, laying the groundwork for the genre. Iron Maiden, with influences from blues rock, psychedelic rock, and acid rock, also played a crucial role in establishing perhaps a new wave of heavy metal.
When Iron Maiden stormed into Brazil for the first Rock in Rio in 1985, they marked a turning point as one of the first heavy metal bands to truly electrify Latin America. At that time, they weren’t the headliners, Queen held that spot. But Maiden’s heavy metal vibrancy, contrasted with earlier rock imports like glam-rockers, Sweet, who reached Brazil in 1974.
Stress, a pioneering rock band from Belém, Brazil, began as a teenage garage project in 1974 when André Chamon joined Wilson Silva and Pedro Lobão to create a new heavy sound in a city where rock was virtually unheard of. A notable aspect was that the few rock albums available in stores arrived years late. Magazines were scarce; when they finally did arrive, they were battered from being passed around, lent from one rock fan to another.
André and Wilson, around 14 or 15 years old, met in school and shared a common passion for rock music, which wasn’t typical in the north of Brazil (Belém do Pará). There, regional music—like Carimbó, Merengue, and Brega—along with trends from the on trend disco and MPB sounds of the South and Southeast, dominated the local radio stations.
With the addition of André’s childhood friend Leonardo Renda, morphed into a vaunted power trio, learning to play in Leonardo’s garage, where their imperfect setup inspired their first name. Instead of being round, it was almost "oval," like a droplet of water lying on its side, which led to the name “Pinngo D’água.” After some lineup changes, Wilson heard Roosevelt Bala’s powerful Led Zeppelin vocals at school and recruited him as the band’s lead singer, pushing their sound to new heights.
Their raw, heavy rock startled disco-loving crowds in Belém, but by 1977, with guitarist Pedro Valente, they rebranded as “Stress” and debuted their distinct sound at the city’s iconic São Cristóvão Theatre, as well as other theatres and local ginásios with covers. They initially composed in English, but this phase was short-lived. At the time, Brazil was under extreme right-wing military censorship, which affected Stress in both negative and positive ways. Their original lyrics were vetoed, but their songwriter always found a way to replace the “subversive” words with others that had a similar pronunciation.
In the 1980s, they gained popularity in Belém and recorded their debut album in Rio de Janeiro, captivating the local audience. Even though they were not commercially successful, they became leaders of the underground heavy scene in Rio de Janeiro. In desperation, the band waited for the technician to go to the bathroom and seized the opportunity to abscond with their master tape, unable to afford any more studio time for mixing. They left the studio and ran to a subway station. It was a small heist in the name of the future of Brazilian metal!
Ultimately the studio session was a disappointment; the sound quality compared poorly to the bands’ they were used to hearing—Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Saxon... They felt cheated and didn't even want to release the album. They pressed just 1,000 eponymously named copies, never imagining its future significance.
In Brazil, a quiet rivalry persists between the economically powerful Rio de Janeiro-São Paulo axis and the country’s other regions. This tension extends beyond wealth, embedding itself in Brazilian culture and media. Despite the country’s linguistic richness—shaped by a blend of cultures, microregions, social classes, and generations—Brazil’s audiovisual industry often overlooks this diversity. Instead, it opts for a standardized accent that reflects the middle-to-upper-class voices of Rio and São Paulo, akin to the UK’s received pronunciation, this “official” accent dominates film, television, and mainstream media, marginalizing other regional voices and unintentionally reinforcing discrimination and regional prejudice. Over time, this representation has not only become normalized but has also shaped audience perceptions, undermining Brazil’s unique cultural variety in favour of a narrow and exclusive standard.
Many claim that heavy metal officially came to Brazil in the 1980s and omit Stress from their chronological timeline of the scene. At the time, the equipment available was basic at best, and getting imported gear was rare due to both the musicians’ tight financial situations and the economic crisis gripping the country. Another challenge was the lack of information and limited access to the music, magazines, and materials related to the international metal scene. Rehearsal and recording studios also struggled with inadequate equipment, making it hard to achieve even minimal production quality. Additionally, there was a lack of knowledge and operational conditions necessary to obtain good sound quality in the recording studios. All of this, combined with the disregard from mainstream media—except for a few supportive radio stations and occasional video programs—and the backward mentality of some who viewed it as mere madness and deafening noise, severely hindered the growth of the metal scene in Brazil.
Rock Brigade magazine was originally a newsletter for a heavy metal fan club, its first issue was released in February 1982. Over time, it expanded to include more pages, improved paper quality, and higher-quality printing, eventually transforming into a widely distributed fanzine, promoting heavy metal bands—both new and established—while consistently providing space for Brazilian bands. By 1986, Rock Brigade reached newsstands nationwide, and since May 1988, it has been published monthly, solidifying its place in the metal scene.
At the Stress LP launch show in Belém, Stress drew about 20,000 people to the Curuzú Stadium on November 13, 1982—what is now being called "National Metal Day." Their initial disappointment in the album gave way to hysteria, as the album became pivotal in the history of Stress and Brazilian metal. After hearing it, many renowned Brazilian metal bands, including Sepultura, decided to form.
In São Paulo, the old Grandes Galerias (now known as Galeria do Rock) housed only a handful of specialized rock and heavy metal shops. The store's owner, Luiz Calanca, played a crucial role in elevating the scene. Woodstock Discos, a store hidden away in another gallery, served as a true meeting point where fans exchanged information and shared the imported materials. In addition to offering unique merchandise like buttons and patches, Woodstock played videos that fans never imagined they would get to see. This vibrant atmosphere fostered friendships and helped create a strong underground community. With no MTV, limited radio programs, and few magazines available, fans had to connect and share knowledge to stay updated on new releases any way they could.
Alice Cooper came to Brazil in 1974, Queen in 1981, Van Halen in 1983, and Kiss in 1983. The emergence of this new musical landscape in Brazil, was significant for the 1980s generation and can be attributed to various factors that have been extensively discussed, including the end of the military dictatorship. Numerous events mobilized individuals from different backgrounds, united by a shared passion for music and a desire for change. This period was characterized by a burgeoning sense of community among music lovers, all eager to assert their presence and influence in a rapidly evolving cultural scene. It was during this time, often referred to as a golden age, that bands and movements emerged, shaping the landscape of national rock, metal, punk, and the underground scene in the years that followed. This era was marked by a vibrant explosion of creativity, as musicians and fans alike sought to carve out their identities in a dynamic and evolving cultural environment. The influences and sounds that emerged during this time would leave a lasting impact on Brazil's cultural identity and musical heritage.
By 1986, Brazil had truly cultivated a legitimate underground scene; on one side were heavy metal bands, most of them singing in Portuguese, and on the other were death and thrash metal bands. Amidst this, it can be said that Sarcófago played a pivotal role in shaping and influencing the roots of what would become the national black metal movement that mirrored similar developments in Europe. Their sound and aesthetic laid the groundwork for a genre that would flourish, resonating with fans eager for darker, more aggressive music. This period marked a crucial turning point, showcasing the evolution and diversity of Brazil's metal scene.
This era also saw the origins of numerous festivals, bars and nightclubs supporting the genre, as well as an independent record label known for its work with famous rock bands. This scenario contributed significantly to the Brazilian heavy metal scene in the Southeast region.
The carioca scene responded to SP Metal with the highly regarded Split-LP Ultimatum, showcasing Dorsal Atlântica and Metalmorphose, as the Rio de Janeiro metal movement was already thriving. Venues such as Circo Voador, Cascadura Tênis Clube, Caverna de São João do Miriti, and Caverna II in Botafogo, along with various theaters like Teatro da Cidade and other city-owned locations for concerts and festivals, were instrumental in hosting local bands. Meanwhile, Minas Gerais experienced its own significant "boom" with the release of the Split-LP featuring SEPULTURA and OVERDOSE, which marked a new era for national heavy metal. Cogumelo Discos, based in Belo Horizonte and behind this release, continued its commitment to supporting bands from Minas Gerais and across the country, launching a variety of projects.
International bands visited Brazil more frequently, while Brazilian bands carved out their space in the international marketplace. This exchange was crucial for the evolution of the Brazilian scene, allowing groups like Sepultura and Angra, among others, to bring Brazil's sound and culture to the world while absorbing international influences to enhance their music. The internationalization of Brazilian bands not only expanded their audience but also helped elevate the status of the national heavy metal scene on the global stage, creating a cycle of inspiration and mutual recognition.
The relentless spirit of heavy metal in Brazil resonates with the heart and soul of its diverse people. Many bands like Stress, Sepultura, and Angra continue to thrive despite early challenges, paving the way for a rich diversity of subgenres, including thrash metal, death metal, black metal, doom metal, metalcore, and crossover. This legacy reflects a unique blend of local culture and global influences, showcasing the resilience and creativity of Brazilian metal.
This piece is also available on Outside Left: https://outsideleft.com/main.php?updateID=3261
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