Brazilian thrash metal

History

80's (Beggining)

Cover of Ultimatum Split By Dorsal Atlântica and Metalmophose in 1984

While in the beggining of the 80's in the U.S., Germany and Canada was appearing bands such as Metallica, Slayer (U.S.), Destruction, Kreator (Germany) and Voivod, Exciter (Canada), in Brazil at the same time was growing a scene of bands too, influencied by the same music that the bands cited above was too (N.W.O.B.H.M. and Hardcore).

In 1982, the first latin american heavy metal LP was released, of the heavy metal band Stress, from the city of Belém (on north of Brazil), and the punk scene in the city of São Paulo was emerging too with the albuns of bands like Ratos de Porão (in 1983).

The european and north american heavy metal and hardcore were been great influences for all those bands, but the first thrash metal (or speed metal) album released officialy in Brazil was the split album between two bands in 1984, the split album Ultimatum, with bands Dorsal Atlântica and Metalmorphose, only one year after the Kill'em All album of Metallica, War and Pain of Voivod and Sentence of Death of Destruction.

Dorsal Atlântica from Rio de Janeiro was a pioneer because of the appearence official on the record, but there was other bands releasing demos, like Vulcano from São Paulo and Sepultura from Belo Horizonte.

Cover of Mental Slavery By MX from São Paulo in 1990

===Scenes===

Basicly, was three regions where the thrash metal was been formed (Belo Horizonte, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro). The most strong of the three scenes, was Belo Horizonte, city where Sepultura came from.

In Belo Horizonte, the scene had the most rought bands, close to what became to call death metal. Bands like Sepultura, Sarcófago and Mutilator was too extreme for that time, even more than the german teoutonic thrash. Sarcofago was influential for the most of european black metal and death metal bands.

In São Paulo, the scene was more close to the Crossover or to the american thrash. Bands like Ratos de Porão and Lobotomia, were hardcore bands turning into thrash metal along side with born thrash metal bands, like Korzus, M.X., Attomica, Anthares, etc.

In Rio de Janeiro, the bands sounded more like the european metal. Names such as Taurus, Metrallion, Antitese was real important that time.

Impact

The most know bands in Brazil, were Sepultura, Sarcófago, Korzus, Ratos de Porão and Dorsal Atlântica.

Albuns like Schizphrenia by Sepultura, Sonho Maníaco by Korzus, Cada Dia Mais Sujo e Agressivo by R.D.P. and Antes do Fim by Dorsal Atlântica was the most "crusher" in the scene, taking a lot of followers around the country.

The best succeed bands out of Brazil were Sepultura and Ratos de Porão. When in 1987 the album Schizophrenia was released in the States and well received, Sepultura got a deal with Roadrunner Records and became what become. Because of Sepultura, Ratos de Porão sign with the label too and went to record in Germany with Harris Johns (of Tankard and Voivod fame). And Sepultura became know around the world with Beneath The Remais in 1989.

End of the 80's and beggining of the 90's

Sepultura was making success out side of Brazil. The last "true" thrash album by them was Arise in 1992. The last thrash metal albuns to represent the old-school of thrash in Brazil was Mass Illusion by Korzus (1991), Rotten Authorities by Executer (1991), Disturbing The Noise by Attomica (1992) and The Law Of Scourge by Sarcófago (1992). After this, the scene decayed, been the last band to represent a record with "old" qualities, the Frozen Hell by the band Siecrist from Espírito Santo.

90's

Entering the 90's, thrash was mixed with alternative metal, grunge, industrial music and in Brazil in especific, with the brazilian "roots". Sepultura and Overdose (from Belo Horizonte), mixed thrash with tribal sounds. Who simply disapear from the scene, had to adaptate the sound to the new things that were coming.

Korzus brought the NYHC influences to their sound with the KZS album. Sarcófago put a drum machine in their last studio album. The Mist (from Belo Horizonte) became an "industrial-thrash" band and Dorsal Atlântica turned into a hardcore/crust. Ratos de Porão had a aprouch with the alternative metal before come back to a more punk roots.

During the 90's, the most important bands to appear in the decade were Scars, Distraught and Zero Vision. But their sound had much more of groove metal of Machine Head then thrash metal.