Interviewing Violator: Thrashing The Brazilian Way
Brazilian thrash titans Violator are back to unleash hell with their ferocious new album, Unholy Retribution, a brutal assault fuelled by hellish vengeance against political corruption and Christian fundamentalism. We went deep with the band to discuss their raw, primitive new sound, from "Reign in Blood" to "Hell Awaits", the chaos of their legendary live shows, and why their music is as political as it is violent.
We also dive into the state of the thriving Brazilian thrash scene and discover which bands are carrying the torch of chaos in a renewed underground. Get ready to jump into the fire with one of South America's most unyielding metal acts.
Check out what Poney Ret Crucifier from Violator had to say!
For someone who’s never heard Violator before, what’s the quickest way you’d describe your sound?
THRASH METAL. It's that simple. Of course, in our case, this means an unwavering commitment to the old school style, the more aggressive versions of the subgenre, and a South American (raw!) way of making music.
How has the Brazilian thrash scene change since you first started in 2002, is it thriving or more underground these days?
It's always been very underground, and we're fine with that; we prefer it that way! Around 2005-2012, thrash gained greater visibility, worldwide, I'd say. It was the result of a generation fed up with new metal and other end of the century crap.
Since then, there have been ebbs and flows, but in South America, it's always been something very alternative, like heavy metal and punk as a whole. Almost no one in Brazil has any real ambitions of making a living from it or making money from it.
What makes us happy is that since the end of the pandemic, we've seen a very positive renewal, with lots of kids showing up to shows, forming bands, and interested in producing.
If someone wanted to understand the current Brazilian thrash scene, which three albums should they listen to?
I'd recommend two bands from Violator's generation, originally from Rio de Janeiro, the home of Brazilian metal pioneer Dorsal Atlântica: FLAGELADOR and FARSCAPE. The former follows the ancient tradition of singing in Portuguese, and the latter boasts the most blistering riffs in the region. Their albums are "A Noite do Ceifador" and "Demon's Massacre." From the newest generation, I recommend checking out DAMN YOUTH; they're perhaps the best new representatives of the spirit of chaos and violence (with a purpose) that we tried to create with Violator.
Your new album Unholy Retribution comes out in September, how did your songwriting process change compared to your earlier releases like Chemical Assault or Scenarios of Brutality?
Unholy Retribution is a kind of development of the path we took with the "Hidden Face of Death" EP. It was a kind of shift toward something rawer and more primitive, shifting a bit from the upbeat thrash references of the late '80s to something more evil. From ‘Reign in Blood’ to ‘Hell Awaits’, you could say (laughs). But while the EP was recorded amateurishly in the studio where we rehearsed, this album involved a unique preparation for us, including bringing a Belgian, Yarne Heylen, to live with us for two weeks and produce the album.
What is the one song everyone needs to hear from the new album?
My favorite is "The Evil Order," the album's second single. I think it highlights the full potential of this new era for Violator, with influences from proto-death metal, while also paying tribute to old Brazilian metal albums, our Cogumelo Records classics. My impression is that it's one of the rare instances in thrash where the music manages to tell a story, a narrative, not just a story with lyrics, but with the music itself.
What themes does the new album deal with?
The entire album revolves around the theme of vengeance. A hellish revenge against the Christian fundamentalism that fuelled the rise of neo-fascism in Brazil over the last decade. So there's a dialectical mix between a very heavy metal allegory of Hell and something very real and concrete: the political challenges of our lives in the global south under this decadent capitalism. There are songs for the coup-mongering military, for the fascist evangelicals, for the Nazi doctors of the pandemic in Brazil.
Musically, did you take any notable risks or try something new/different with this album?
I believe the album brings this expansion of Violator references, moving between the early stages of death metal and a more evil thrash metal. At the same time, it's still the same Violator, riff-maniacs like we've always loved to be. The music is fast, and always will be! What perhaps represents a significant departure for the band was the recording process, where we had an unprecedented structure to record in our city, with all the time we needed and an outside producer, chosen specifically for this project. I believe this made a difference in the final result.
Chapel of the Sick’ hits on political corruption, pandemic fallout, and even draws parallels to resistance movements. How political are you as an overall band?
It's a little more specific than that: "Chapel of the Sick" is explicitly a song about the Palestinian genocide perpetrated by Israel, a demonstration of colonial violence and apartheid in the 21st century. I would say that we are as political as any human being; we live in a world of exploitation and violence under a decadent capitalism, we move within it, and we want to talk about it.
Violator is a band that explicitly raises banners—of the left, of anti-capitalism, for the liberation of the world's people. Not with the foolish hope that our music will change the world, but because we feel that remaining silent is not an option.
After 20+ years, what parts of the old Violator DNA did you keep, and what did you want to reinvent?
After 20 years, we continue to reaffirm our commitment to uncompromising thrash metal and the underground style of music production. This is something I'm very proud of. Of course, after all this time, we're not the same people (which is good!). So changes are natural, there are losses and gains, the freshness of youth and the wisdom of adulthood. But we still have the same principles. So there's not exactly anything specific we want to leave behind; we never sell out!
Brazilian metal crowds are famous for going absolutely wild. What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve seen from the stage in your home country?
The shows in Brazil, especially in the North and Northeast, are truly insane. Chile is also a place for crazy bangers. And in all this madness, we've gotten hurt many times on stage.
I cut my face and suffered facial necrosis, knocked out Capaça's teeth, and Cambito broke his knee during a clumsy jump. But perhaps the craziest (and most dangerous!) incident was when, in the middle of a very small DIY show near our city, a guy entered the mosh pit with a huge white butcher knife, waving it around. Everyone ran out, and the room quickly emptied, and, of course, I was the first to run.
Alright, important question: which football team has the most Violator fans in it and who causes the most arguments?
There are many teams in Brazil, and there's always a lot of banter among fans. So there's not exactly such dominance. Flamengo and Corinthians are the biggest clubs in the country.
At Violator, we're not that into soccer (rockers have a reputation for being terrible at soccer in Brazil). Batera, who, curiously, isn't Brazilian, is the most enthusiastic about the sport; he supports Palmeiras. My team is Vasco da Gama, which has been going through tough times for a long time.
When the thrash is done and you’re starving which wins: a heavy feijoada or a big plate of feijão tropeiro?
Both!! In fact, all Brazilian food is a gift to human civilization. I highly recommend it, especially those bean dishes you mentioned. Plus, there are many coastal delicacies, with lots of palm oil and chili peppers, and plenty of delicious food from the north, where we have the Amazon rainforest, particularly food with the delicious Jambu herb, including cachaça. And I'm still a vegetarian and I'm doing very well, and for meat eaters, it's even better.
How can fans best support you and any final words for our readers?
Supporting underground production as a whole, our counterculture, and our way of doing things. Including reading this interview, for which I'm very grateful. In a world of artificial (un)intelligence, words themselves as a form of expression are being forgotten, and I feel like a conversation like this is a step in the opposite direction.
So, thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the album coming out in September, and who knows, maybe we'll even make it to the UK for the first time! UFT!!
