I cannot believe this is already 29 years old. Yes, the debut album from this band that started as a Heavy Metal act, is today one of the best material to come from the mighty Brazilian scene. With only 23 minutes long, this is their “Reign In Blood”. The recording is raw, but everything can be heard, specially a very loud bass, that adds more evil to the already malicious onslaught that this recording is. There is an obvious Hardcore approach here, but that was the time when it actually turned Metal more extreme by adding those elements in their music. Taking in count this was done in about 24 hours, it was a triumph (of evil) that this is still so brutal sounding. I am not sure, but for 1986 this as well might be the most evil recording to come out from planet earth. Compared to albums recorded or released in that same year, this is far ahead in terms of brutality and aggression. The fact that the band did not get bigger could be due to line-up problems and something that seems like style changes from album to album. Still, it is great that the album keeps being in print for the new generations to discover this evil jewel. The fact that the band is still going on today, even passing form some stages of releasing mediocre albums (“Ratrace”…), to then regaining the path of evil Metal, and even creating some modern masterpieces (“The Book Of Truth”…) makes these old Metal warriors living legends. This year they played the Maryland Deathfest and they have a new album out. Whilst not on par with the aggression and violence of their early albums, it is still worthy. But, this is where it all started. Find why they were ahead of their time and revered by those who know what Metal is all about. An essential release (this Greyhaze Records re-release even comes up with an approximately 45 minutes long bonus DVD, that offers a very raw, classic VULCANO live show from 1986. For obvious reasons the overall quality doesn’t live up to todays standards, as it was never meant to be released this way, but it’s still a great historical document that showcases how intense these guys were back in those days! – Frank). More info at: www.facebook.com/pages/vulcano/112863440430, http://vulcanometal.bandcamp.com, www.greyhazerecords.com

When I say VULCANO’s “Bloody Vengeance”, I really say, one of my favorite albums of all time. The artwork, the themes, the aesthetic, the sound, the meaning, the era, the moment… All what this band represents, four plus decades now, after they first showed up in Brazil that was just starting to create a movement that eventually was going to be so big that they probably never even imagined. While other movements were also starting to take place around in South America (for instance), Brazil was taking one step ahead and bands like DORSAL ATLÂNTICA, VULCANO, SEPULTURA, HOLOCAUSTO, SARCÓFAGO, MUTILATOR, CHAKAL, SEXTRASH, HEADHUNTER D.C. and many more were putting a flag way up high and started to push boundaries. While North America was headbanging with albums like “Master Of Puppets”, “Reign In Blood”, “Beyond The Gates”, “Darkness Descends” or “Scream Bloody Gore”, Europe was doing the same with “Pleasure To Kill”, “Obsessed By Cruelty”, “Under The Sign Of The Black Mark”, “Into The Pandemonium” or “R.I.P.”. In Brazil, these dudes, were putting out something so explosive like the mighty “Bloody Vengeance” album. This album… Man, this album is pure and absolute darkness from start to finish. And I have to admit that I completely ignored that at the time, I mean, when I first heard about VULCANO, that this band began to produce an echo in Brazil as a Heavy Metal band. So, that really surprised me (decades later) when I got in contact with the band and the album itself. I was so lucky that this was actually my first time listening to the band and I got immediately trapped. The ferocity, the rage, the satanic aura around this album was so impressive to me. And yes, I kind of gravitated around the album partners from Brazil and that helped me conceive the Brazilian scene as strong as hell. I think I was so into songs like ‘Dominios Of Death’ (first track). It was like a slap in the face. No intro, no beautiful classical guitars whatsoever. It hits you right in the face with immediate violence after those four furious hi-hat strikes welcome you to hell. Not enough? Bad news: ‘Spirits Of Evil’ will be the same dose and has you ‘Ready To Explode’ in the middle of the devil’s screams. ‘Holocaust’ is absolute madness. The true holocaust of the album. ‘Incubus’ then showed up to fuck a sleeping body. ‘Death Metal’… This is their own representation of what Death Metal was supposed to be. POSSESSED was feeling scared with this song for sure. ‘Voices From Hell’… Wow… Eerie… Creepy… Horrifying. Finally, ‘Bloody Vengeance’. The avenger, the demon, enacting vengeance. And well, High Roller Records is putting this icon back on CD with an additional slipcase, remastered, with poster and booklet and on 12″ vinyl. Get it and do your own bloody vengeance. Check here: www.facebook.com/vulcanometal, www.facebook.com/hrrecords

I really don’t know what to say about this album that hasn’t been said before. But I’ll try my best. For me, “Bloody Vengeance” stands tall along other classics such as “INRI”, “Abominable Anno Domini”, “Morbid Visions” and “Immortal Force” just to name a few (shame on you if you don’t know at least two of these releases). In terms of savage, total underground Death / Thrash Metal, Brazil had it covered. Especially between 1985 and 1990. And “Bloody Vengeance” is a superb example of aggressive and relentless Death / Thrash of that era. Released in 1986, it has stood the test of time. Just mentioning that it has influenced a lot of musicians and bands is such an understatement. Pick any song and it has that same savage and untamed vibe. The worst and best aspect here is length. The shortest song, ‘Ready To Explode’ is only 1:38 with the title track clocking at 4:02. The whole album is done in 23 minutes, but it has a huge replay value. You want your ass handed to you again and again and again. I think that in 1986 any recording engineer presented with such a style of music would be absolutely shocked, just trying to process the whole thing. Luckily, bassist Zhema took care of both the engineering and the production and he did an amazing job for the 24 hours the band took to track and mix the album. The sound is raw and unpolished, but it fits perfectly the malevolent aura of the album. The mix is unpolished and raw, just putting everything upfront and in your face, which resonates perfectly with the overall atmosphere. My guess is that the drums were not even compressed and they just expand or shrink depending on Laudir’s performance. He keeps up with the frantic pace with amazing strength and his drum fills are insane. Both Soto Jr and Flavio churn out memorable riffs one after another, combining power chord tremolo parts, palm muting and a lot of sharp, frenzy leads. Zhema’s bass is really present keeping the bottom end tight with the drums but also adding a lot of variations in between the guitar riffs. To top it off, vocalist Angel switches constantly between growls and screams (full of reverb) that resonate with the extremely hostile music perfectly. So in my humble opinion “Bloody Vengeance” is one of the cornerstones that helped define multiple subgenres of extreme Metal. This reissued version comes from High Roller Records, remastered by Temple Of Disharmony. The CD is housed in a nice slipcase, remastered, with poster and booklet. The vinyl version comes in a 425gsm heavy cardboard cover and includes two inserts, a poster and an A5 photo card with three color variations. So, if you still don’t own “Bloody Vengeance”, what better time than now? Support the band at www.facebook.com/vulcanometal and get this album now from the label www.facebook.com/hrrecords