GT - Can you tell us about the former members and current members of Bode Preto? Their work on the 'Dark Night' ep was really killer...
Josh S - (photo - Bianca Lessa)
Josh S - It was Junior Oliveira on the drums and
Pablo Erickson on the bass, they are the kind of guys who grew up in
the same street and have played together for 8 years now, they have a band
called Mortal Thrash where Pablo plays the guitar. At this moment I
see that each of them is taking care of their own life. I have been
playing in bands since 1993, and have some stuff released with
Monasterium (Death Doom Metal band from the 90's), I remember when we
were talking about creating Monasterium that we already had the LP of
The Endoparasites released by Cogumelo with Adelson on the drums. I'm
saying that because it was a great achievement for a band at that
time to have a LP released by them.
Junior (original Bode Preto drummer) 2010 (photo - Bianca Lessa)
Pablo - (photo - Bianca Lessa)
GT - How did you and Adelson end up hooking up to constitute the new Bode Preto? You guys live something like 3000km apart?
Josh S - We knew the previous bands of each
other, both of us were used to have pen pals and trade tapes on the
pre-internet era. Now it is quicker as we can have real time
conversation. I recorded a demo by myself, struggling to try to play
the drums as well, and sent to Adelson who instantly felt that he
could develop and record the drums. It was perfect time as I exchange
my drum kit and a guitar amp for some credits on a traveling agency.
But the deal was with a friend so I could keep the drums for one
month to have the time to record it. With that we could buy the
tickets for Adelson to come. He stayed for 7 days in my house and we
recorded it in one of the rooms, the same where he slept.
Adelson - I knew the band through a mutual friend. We started talking at Facebook and saw that I could record in Teresina. Josh sent me the songs by email. It really was hard to conceive because it is not common in Brazil. Never crossed someone here in Brazil almost 3000 kilometers to record and I did it!
Adelson & Josh fine tuning the enigma - (photo - Erick Miranda)
GT - That's definitely dedicated to the extreme, how the hell do you manage to get everything accomplished with that sort of distance?
Josh S - I had already the songs and a demo, as
a matter of fact I have recorded these songs a dozen of times trying
to find how it would work better. Adelson is as obsessive with music
as I am, so he was listening to the demos 30 times per day before
coming, when he arrived after the first 20 minutes playing together
for the first time we felt that the most important we had already,
which was the chemistry of playing together and the clear intention
to make something strong doing the best we can.
Then we made 2 days
of rehearsals, recording with 1 mic on the room and 4 days of drums
only recording. I felt that he had the potency on his drumming to go
far beyond the demos, that's exactly what we did, took the songs to a
next level of energy and always looking for the perfect cadence. We
were working like a chess game, each one having the time to bring his
point, not trying to win but challenging each other. The songs had
already a structure, but Adelson brought a considerable amount of
chaos, that I accepted and adapted my own way of playing and the
songs themselves.
We tried to make the least amount of editing as possible,
recording almost every layer of instruments with an unique take. We
also have a special guest with 3 guitar solos on the record, it is
Fábio Jhasko (former Sarcófago), that for me is an immense honor and for the music it brings a
real time warp from beyond. He recorded his parts in São Paulo.
The 2010 EP
GT - The 2010 short 4 song ep 'Dark Night' is very unique with the almost rock'n'roll (or some might call it 'heavy metal' parts) which is something strange even for proto-death metal of the early to mid 80's from Brazil. We know the line up was different, and the song writing was a little different in that other people no longer in the band contributed, yet the songs really still stand out. Have people caught on to this mixture and has the reception been good?
Josh S - Interesting that you make the
comparison with the bands from the 80's in Brazil, that of course
were and are very important. But for me in Bode Preto bands like
Mystifier and early Genocídio have more influence than Chakal for
instance. I believe that this rock'n'roll aspect comes from Black
Sabbath, Beatles, Little Richard, Gene Vincent... that is something
that called my attention to music, it was not rational decision.
GT - From the advance unmixed incomplete songs we've been lucky to hear so far (advances from 2012) - there is definitely less of the rock'n'roll/hm identity in any of the passages. This was intentional or simply evolution?
Josh S - It was result of going deeper to find
out and create an essence to this band, we have ripped a veil now we
have space to dive and develop it further. Maybe it will come back in
the future but it seems that this band is creating it's own legs, now
is moment to let it go a bit by itself to then catch it again and
ride with it. The solo of Inverted Blood is kind of Heavy Metal.
GT - New fans ride this silly 'retro-wave' - they want clones. It's been stated, we think accurately too, that Bode Preto honestly relay a genre whilst still remaining extremely individual. This is no small feat, especially when so many bands just want to mimick others. How in the hell have you pulled it all off? It seems a little bit like Grave Desecrator's 'Insult' LP in that they, like you, have recaptured a feeling that's still fresh sounding rather than simply cloned mid 80's Brazilian style.
Josh S - The retro approach is pointless and
trendy, is the same as pop music trying to sound 80's or some other
shit. For me would be very difficult to limit a band to a decade or
so. I always liked things to be doing as they weren't before, and
cutting edge approach to the music and the sound. We didn't use
triggers or tricks because we like it that way, not trying to achieve
a specific sound from another band. We are just playing and recording
it the way we love and presenting a band that sounds good to our
ears. If bands like Slayer or Kreator would be retro they would be
clones of Motorhead or Venom.
Adelson - When I traveled to record it all with the Bode Preto, I was conscious that I was in a band that represented something genuine and honest. Not that many others are not .... but ... References to "Insult" are different from "Inverted Blood" although we have many things in common. “Inverted Blood” is more introspective although the approach is very explosive.
Adelson & Josh - (photo - Erick Miranda)
GT - Obviously there's a ton of differences between Grave Desecrator and Bode Preto. Now Adelson, you actually played drums on the Grave Desecrator 'Insult' LP. Were you a full time member or were you like a session musician helping them out?
Adelson - I was a full time member.
GT - You toured with those guys as well, right? Not just around Brazil, but over in Europe as well....? What are your thoughts as a musician and also a fan of the experience?
Adelson - Yes, the tour was in 2010. There were 10 shows: three in Germany, three in England, two in Italy, one in Germany and one in Austria. It was supposed to have another in Germany but police canceled the show because the place had no emergency exit. The most prominent gig was at Live Evil Fest in London with the legends from Angel Witch. I saw Angel Witch on the stage! Kevin Heyboune and Bill Steer kills!!!!!!
GT - Will you be on the forthcoming Grave Desecrator releases Adelson, or is your collaboration with them over?
Adelson - No...I had problems with them and don't have any contact with the guys. I don’t have the "Insult" album at home ... I never even saw the LP, for example....
GT - Would fans ever see a shared gig between yourselves and Grave
Desecrator? We can't really imagine anyone would survive that if it
happened...
Josh S - That would be great, for sure some
people can die of drinking too much alcohol hahahahaha
Adelson
- One day it might happen... but I don’t think about it ... what I
think is that both bands will do their best so they come up on stage...
The original Bode Preto laying foundation to what is to come.
GT - Josh, you've been vocalist/guitarist with BP from the start, how do you feel about the current direction of the band, in comparison to your previous work with it?
Josh S - I feel that we are going further on the
points we had before, bringing it forwardl. For the first time, since
I started to record music, the process only made the original idea
stronger. As it was recorded in my own home studio, we lost on the
technical material, but we gain much more in time to try things out
and the right moment and concentration to perform and to record.
With
the lyrics we arrived to a point that is not talking about ourselves
as individuals, even going through individual experience and points
of view. Themes like Mother of Ferocity appeared already in
'Verminoso', which is about how the mothers are the first agents to the
conditioning of the little humans, not even with the intention but
deceptive by a system of values based on the profit of money and ego.
That system only awaits for more fuel and work power to keep on
functioning. They provide it very well with repressed and fearful
children. They become adults that see no escape to that apparently
eternal chain of shallow comprehension and experience of life. Just
become the new Mothers and Fathers of that suicidal insanity. We are
victims and executioners at the same time.
Inverted Blood is about
the opposite of life, it's not death, but the repression of life, the negation of life. The repression of the
ancient form of perpetuate life, our sexual potency. This time I
brought some subjects from dreams, symbolic images that come from an
ancient wisdom of our nature.
The new foundation - (photo - Erick Miranda)
GT - It's good to hear that the 'modern' black metal influence hasn't resoundingly dominated Bode Preto. It's just enough to compliment but not ruin anything and degenerate the band into something silly like most of the bm bands are. It's obvious the glorious times era bands are an influence, care to name any particular bands/releases that really guided you guys to make the decision to go the way you have with music?
Josh S - From Black Metal we got the morbid and
bestial aspect. Bands like the mighty BATHORY, BEHERIT, BLASPHEMY,
VON, SAMAEL (Worship Him era), SARCÓFAGO, MYSTIFIER, IMPALED
NAZARENE, early ULVER, MAYHEM (old), but for sure the Florida Death
Metal scene had big impact here, for me MORBID ANGEL and DEICIDE the
most. I'll name now some bands with no particular connection AUTOPSY,
MUTILATOR, HELLHOUSE, CARCASS, DOOM, AMEBIX, SEPULTURA, POSSESSED,
MANIAC BUTCHER, PARADISE LOST, DISGORGE (USA), SEX TRASH, BLACK
WITCHERY, SINISTER, SLAUGHTER (CAN), METALLICA, TERVEET KADET,
RATTUS, WEHRMACHT, Rövsvett, Poison Idea...
Adelson - We have the feeling that guided some releases from Necro Death / Black bands the late '80s and early '90s. It was a time when albums were not plastic and the bands really sounded threatening and ugly. Brazil has always been particularly good at it. Another important feeling is the old hardcore bands from Sweden, Finland and Brazil. Chaos on earth!
GT - We have a deep affection for the Brazilian bands, since we were part of things as fans in the beginning, watching for that new release on Cogumelo (which was then the most prominent of the Brazilian labels at the time). We see Bode Preto as being a band that could have easily been on one of those early releases, say in 1986 on Cogumelo's Warefare Noise Vol 1 comp 12''. What do you think about that?
Josh S - That compilation has a magical aura, If
you feel the same with BODE PRETO for me is an honor.
Adelson - Maybe my participation has much of that feeling because I recorded a band (The Endoparasites) by Cogumelo Records. But in 1993. The classic bands from 80s (Sepultura,Sarcófago, Chakal, Mutilator) from Cogumelo, I saw many of their gigs during the years of their releases. All this is in my blood.
GT - By the way, what was each of yours favourite part of that comp?
Josh S - SARCÓFAGO.
Adelson - Mutilator.
The classic Warfare Noise compilation - (photo - Alan Moses)
GT - Are fans in Brazil actually comprehending what you're doing? The old Brazilian sound and attitude is well known to us and others from the old record/tape trading times - but is it being acknowledged on a larger level that you are carrying the sword from one era to other? Is the international response any better or worse than at home?
Josh S - We are having very good response from
the old school true bangers from different parts of Brazil and
overseas. You are the first one to send an interview, and it's before the record is out. What makes me
very glad is that you got the deep core intention of this band.
Adelson - I can not say for other bands but the impression is that we are well received.
GT - We're not sure about how old you guys are...? and how long have you been playing music?
Josh S - I'm 34 and started to play guitar by
myself when I was 13, in Monasterium with 15. Since 2001 I have
worked with music and live performances for physical theater and
dance, with different directors and choreographers, developing it and
presenting on stage in countries like Netherlands (where I lived for
almost 2 years in different periods), Germany, Czech Rep., Belgium,
France and several cities in Brazil. The experience with this kind of
work taught me a lot about the discipline in the process of creating
and realizing a piece of artistic manifestation. I'm very used to the
fact of traveling long distances to meet a group, or a person, to
create something together. Because of that for me was quite
spontaneous the process of working with Adelson to develop the band
and record it. Music has always been my way to avoid the pre-determined life I would have without it.
Adelson - I am 41 years old and I've played since 1987. My first real band was The Endoparasites in final from '89.
GT - We got to ask you: do you have any favourite record stores in your towns/or in the past that you enjoyed visiting or hanging out at? If so, can you tell us any stories about that?
Josh S - I liked a lot to go to a shop called
WAR PIGS it was a tattoo shop of a friend called Bernardo, he was a
drummer for a violent band in the vein of early D.R.I. called AZINUS.
We had an agreement that we would only pay for the ink and needle and
he would tattoo us from the band for free. His name is on our demos
and CD of Monasterium, he died in 2000 in an accident and I have 3
tattoos done by him. He had a fucking green soldier pig as a logo and
he would tattoo it for free..hahaha I have some friends with that pig
on their skin, not me hahahahahah.
Adelson - WOW, the record stores here hava many stories, São Paulo was common to
have many fights between factions of Metal and Punk in the streets near
from Gallery Of Rock!! I had some problems with that too!!!! I always frequented several record stores since the beginning of the '80's, and my fave here in Rio de Janeiro was Heavy Discos which was also a record label and released bands like Dorsal Atlântica, Extermínio and others. But my preferred record store was in São Paulo in a place called Galeria do Rock (Gallery Of Rock) and is one of the biggest record stores in Metal in the world! Really many,many record stores!!! Paradise!!!! Imagine it in 80s!!!!Only for maniacs!!! Outside from Gallery Of Rock had a most important record store in Brazil called Woodstock Discos but the store don’t exist anymore. I worked 5 years in a store between 1995 and 2000 called Marquee. Cogumelo Records was a shop well before turning into a record label and there were only funny types. By the early morning the store already had a bunch of drunk people at the shop door and everyone vomiting. Hahahahahaha
The multi-storied Galeria do Rock in Sao Paulo
GT - Josh, so far, what would be the most memorable show you have played in Bode Preto?
Josh S - With BODE PRETO for sure in EL KHURU
INFERNAL FESTIVAL in Fortaleza, a city 600km from Teresina. It was a
2 weekend festival that resulted in an underground documentary called
"BLACK METAL ALÉM DO SOL" (BLACK METAL BEYOND THE SUN).
With bands like ETERNAL MARTYR and HORDE 666.
GT - We'll leave it to you fudido amigos to say what you want in closing, again we cannot wait for this record, it's gonna hand so many people their asses! Thanks lads!
Josh S - We are now on the mixing process of the
debut, it will be called Inverted Blood, will be released in Brazil
through Läjä Records. It will be on our site for download. There
is possible to buy digitally our EP (from 2010 entitled 'Dark Night') and in October 2012 the debut will be
available as well.
We use Bandcamp, it's very interesting as the
payment go direct to the band via PayPal, and you can have it with
high quality. We are working on the line up, there's a guitarist
learning the songs and we are looking for a bassist, both to play
live together with me on the guitar and vocals and Adelson on the
drums of course. Thank you for the fantastic interest in BODE
PRETO, that's the first interview I answer to USA. Cheers.
Adelson - We are really anxious to this release and we believe it too. We greatly thank Fabio Jhasko (Sarcófago in “The Laws Of Scourge” ) for your participation in the solos in “Inverted Blood”! In Germany will be released by Ketzer Records (the same label that released the first 2 recordings from Grave Desecrator) and in England on cassette by Goatprayer Records. I believe that will be released in October/November. In Brazil will be released in October by Laja Records. And really thanks very much for you, and the great Glorious Fucking Times! We appreciate your work!!!!!! We wait see everyone around!!! Chaos on earth!!!
