Brutal Death Metal From Brazil
REBAELLIUN Interview With
Fabiano Penna (guitars)
Interview By Arto Lehtinen
The Brazilian metal scene has always been known for its unique raw
and above all uncompromising brutal and bestial death/black metal bands
since the early 80’s. Even though years have passed by the Brazilian
extreme metal is flourishing in 2000 when several brutal nihilistic
death metal bands have come to conqueror the death metal scene with the
total intensive brain blowing death metal attack. Krisiun was one of the
first having gained that reputation, but Rebaelliun already showed and
gives a real lesson of Death Metal on the debut album “Burn the
Promised”, but more brutal and more aggressive hyper blast death metal
stuff by Rebaelliun can be expected from their upcoming “Annihilation”
album which is going to blow every extreme death metal maniac away for
sure.
I talked to the guitarist, Fabiano Penna, on the eve on the total
annihilation about their upcoming album and of course the Brazilian vibe
!! Enjoy
The official homepage of Rebaelliun: www.rebaelliun.com
Good morning or evening down to Brazil, Penna, what’s up
there at the moment, is the sun shinning hot there?!?
It's the winter over here, the day is not as sunny as usual...
Last time we talked you had just the debut album out a few
years ago and now the second album is due to out really really soon by
Hammerheart Rec of course. I guess you must have been utterly busy and
swamped with the band during the last few years since the debut album
came out?!?
Yeah, you're 100% right. REBAELLIUN has been our main activity on
last years, since we formed the band we had no breaks, and a lot of work
still has to be done on coming years.
Before forming REBAELLIUN in '98 you used to play in other
local Death Metal combos like Blessed which never got that much
attention. Until now you have finally gained the deserved success and
following in the scene, but what were the biggest different points of
what made REBAELLIUN more serious and even professional band to reach
the status that you have got so far?!?
We were much younger when playing in REBAELLIUN, so it was probably
the main difference. During 2 years we were just working in daily jobs,
before forming REBAELLIUN, and you learn a lot when dealing with people
who try to be professional in their area. REBAELLIUN was formed to show
our music to the worldwide extreme Metal scene, it would not make any
sense to play again in a kind of local band, remember that local fans
normally don't support local bands...
But starting out the band from nothing, you had sold your equipment
and basically gave up the hope of continuing in the music business after
quitting older bands. But instead you went throughout the hard rock and traveled
to Europe in order to promote and get the attention for
REBAELLIUN, now afterwards thinking, was worth of every penny and hard
working, everything was done and carried out on the grassroots level?!?
I would do everything again, if necessary. That first trip to Europe
was a really hard but rich experience for us, and if REBAELLIUN is still
around and with a good reputation all over the world, is due to that
first tour. All those gigs in small pubs for 20, 30 people, were very
important at that time, that was the first step and we had to do that.
We have good memories from that period.
So the debut "Burn the Promised Land" arose hell in the
Death Metal scene and definitely knocked several die hard Death Metal
mongers down and reviews and criticism what I for one have seen and read
have been overwhelming great, did you know to expect those kinds of
responds toward the debut album or was it on the contrary just a huge
surprise for the whole band?!?
We did our best recording "Burn the Promised Land", we
always knew all the weak aspects of that album, but we also knew that
"Burn..." had a so strong feeling that it would have an impact
in the scene in a way or another. And it had. We got some superb reviews
and a lot of support with that album, some tours happened and I think
"Burn the Promised Land" is the responsible for everything we
have nowadays. But we wanna go further, and for this, new albums will
come, and each one has to be better than the previous ones.
The new output called "Annihilation" will be hitting or may
already have hit the stores and was carried out, process at the Stage
One Studio in Germany with Andy Classen as the producer, firstly how did
you come an idea to record the follow up in Germany, was Hammerheart
behind the idea and how did the working methods with Andy Classen turn
out and go after all?!?
The sound in "Burn the Promised Land" was not 100% good for
our music, "Bringer of War" showed better sound in drums, but
the production was not that good as well. We and Hammerheart knew that
if REBAELLIUN wanted to go to a higher level, a better production was
needed. For this, we should record in Europe or in the U.S., Hammerheart
probably had other bands recording in Stage One with Andy, and then they
offered us this possibility. Of course we didn't know so much about this
studio, but it would be better than recording in Brazil. At the end, we
reached a very clear but still heavy and intense production, and that
was the goal. It was very easy recording with Andy, things worked very
well at Stage One.
The upcoming album includes the re-brutalized version "Bringer
of War" off from the same titled MCD,hmm in my opinion that Mini-CD
suffered from the kinda weak production and didn’t manage to capture
the most nihilistic feeling what REBAELLIUN stand for, was that basic
reason for redoing the track in order to the more savage brutal approach
with the better sounds or if not could you reveal why?!?
We recorded "Bringer of War" as a trio, with another
line-up. With this new line-up this song, which is in my opinion one of
the best REBAELLIUN songs, was sounding much better. Then came the idea
to re-record it, to show how the new line-up plays this song. I can
assure this new version is even faster than the first one.
Hmm so far I am kinda unable to inquire any clever things about the
upcoming album, the eight track brutal Death Metal mayhem can be
expected for sure or how would you like to cite the album?!?
"Annihilation" is by far our best release, and everybody
who already listened to this album have the same opinion. The feeling is
even more intense than on "Burn the Promised Land", the
musicianship was a lot improved, and the result is a clear but extreme
album, with some new standards as well. It's an album 100% focused on
the extreme Death Metal.
The title of the debut album "Burn the Promised Land"
already brought up that your hatred toward the religious issues, but what
kind of issues does the title of the second album refer to?!?
If you are referring to "Annihilation", this title refers
to the end of a failed society, the end of all their beliefs and
thoughts, the beginning of a new era.
Besides the religious issues you are also keen on penning the lyrics
about wars, cos at least MCD has references to war topics, at least the
front cover gives that impression as having a wicked looking soldier
running?!?
War is one of the oldest ways of expression of the human beings. And
it will be probably the way that mankind will use to kill itself. The
complete annihilation will become true thru a war, I have no doubt about
this.
The MCD in question includes the cover version of Morbid Angel’s
"Day Of Suffering", I can’t asking what happened to your
planned cover track of Slayer’s "Black Magic", did you just
drop it?!?
'Black Magic' was supposed to be recorded in "Burn the Promised
Land", but we didn't like how it sounded in the studio and then we
just stoped recording it. And at the current time we are more focused in
our own songs, so don't expect coversongs on coming years...
But the line-up of REBAELLIUN has undergone some eccentric changes
since the debut album was unleashed. Let’s see if I can follow it
right; the line up on the debut album "Burn the Promised Land"
was the following, Marcello Marzari (bass/vocals), F. Penna Correa
(guitars), Ronaldo Lima (guitars) and Sandro M. (drums). Whereas the
line up on the MCD "Bringer of War" consisted of three guys
Marcello Marzari (bass/vocals), F. Penna Correa (guitars) and Sandro M.
(drums). Now the current line-up on the new album would be Lohy Fabiano
(bass/vocals), Fabiano Penna (guitars) Ronaldo Lima (guitars) and Sandro
Moreira (drums). "Hold on". Lima wasn’t on the MCD and
returned back and now Marcello Marzari is out, replaced by Lohy Fabiano,
could you politely shed some light on these line-up hassles?!?
Ronaldo left REBAELLIUN in February '2000. As a trio we recorded
"Bringer of War" Mini-CD and played an European tour with
Vader. Rigth after this tour, Marcello also left REBAELLIUN. I and
Sandro kept rehearsing and writing some new songs, few weeks later
Ronaldo came and we all decided it was time to have him back in
REBAELLIUN. And since we were searching for a new frontam, Lohy Fabiano,
who had played with us before REBAELLIUN, got in touch, and with a few
rehearsals we all realized that this was the best line-up we could get.
"Annihilation" will prove this.
Seems like the band is unfortunately plagued by mandatory changes, do
you now expect the line-up would last a little bit longer or?!?
I think that this line-up will last for several years. People are
different and sometimes people want different things for themselves. So
no one can expect that REBAELLIUN's line-up, or any band's line-up, will
last forever, it's just impossible...
But every album has featured a new guy doing the vocal parts, how do
you view as the biggest difference between each vocalist and how did the
new recruited vocalist Lohy Fabiano manage to handle all the vocal
parts?!?
We recorded "At War", "Burn the Promised Land"
and "Bringer of War" with Marcello doing the vocals. This is
the first time we change the frontman... and fortunately Lohy did his
part very well in "Annihilation", he is much better musician
than Marcello was, and his voice is much deeper and clearer, and more
powerful as well. In my opinion the vocals are one of the highlights in
"Annihilation", we were very careful this time about all the
lyrics and structures, and it worked very well, Lohy worked hard with us
to have all the lines 100% perfect before the recordings.
I never dared to unveil this to you, but I gotta try my luck now:
When REBAELLIUN was just founded and had the first press coverage by the
local Metal magazines which I had managed to get a hold of. All right I
gotta admit ignoring the page where you were, just paying attention to
four bald headed guys standing and thought this gotta some Brazilian
hard core/punk band or whatever! The same magazine had included a comp
CD also featuring one track off from your demo. After hearing that track
I was like holymotherfuckingjeesusbloodychrist, what the hell is this,
immediately had to pick up the article all over again to check out what
the hell this band is actually(heh). So I can’t help asking what was
the purpose on having shaved heads and did someone else think so wrong
like I did, considering you as a hard core band..heh?!?
A lot of people probably thought the same, Metal bands usually use
long hair. In our first trip to Belgium, in a festival, some guys
thought that we were Angelcorpse playing!!! We had not any specific
intentions with that, it just happened, but also proved that you don't
have to have a 'Metal look' to play in a band, many people pay more
attention in the appearance of a band than on the music itself. Music is
always the most important thing in a band.
REBAELLIUN have outspokenly been compared to you country/city
fellows, Krisiun, to be honest don’t you already get a little bit sick
of those Krisiun comparisons despite the obvious references and
comparisons between the two bands can be pointed out: The same city, the
same front cover designer ..etc., but anyway?!?
Morbid Angel and Deicide come from the same city, playing the same
genre of music, recording albums in the same studio... but these bands
have a different approach to play Death Metal, and I think the same
thing happens when you talk about REBAELLIUN and Krisiun. Fortunately
these comparisons are not so often nowadays, with
"Annihilation" people will finally see that we have our own
identity playing Death Metal and this is why REBAELLIUN have grown a lot
during the last years.
Sometime ago I read the interview of Nile where the interviewer had
brought the "Bringer of War" MCD to the Nile guys to check
out, obviously they weren’t that much aware of you, but pointed out
immediately the "Brazil Vibes" from the material, so do you
think you and other Brazilian bands have some recognizable "Brazil
Vibes" in the sounds of which local bands can be recognized?!?
I think so, Brazil is very original in all the matters, and the same
happen with the Metal genre. A few years ago we could say that American
bands were more technical and Brazilian bands were faster, but still
raw; nowadays Brazilian bands reached the same level of musicianship of
the American bands - some Brazilian bands are even in a higher level -
but the 'Brazilian vibes' are still there. I'm proud of it, our scene is
fucking growing and I believe things will just get better within
upcoming years.
About that "Brazil Vibes" thing yet... In my opinion even
the older Brazilian bands from the 80’s already had that vibe thing in
their sounds, now I am not just talking about typical names which you
may guest, but in general Brazilian bands had something and magical
power in their material, is this some kind of heritage from them for the
Brazilian Death/Black generation of nowadays?!?
I don't know. In our case, we are more influenced by bands such as
Morbid Angel and Slayer, and they both come from America, but I think we
all have a natural way to play music in Brazil, and this specific way to
play the music differs the Brazilian style from any other style all over
the world.
I came across a couple of statements of yours saying the local Metal
crowd don’t give damn shit about bands down there in Brazil. Do you
think the Brazilian Metal heads are kinda used to getting a lot of 'big'
bands from Europe and US to check out whereas in the middle of the 80’s
any bands hardly played there, apart from Venom, Destruction, Exciter?!
But are the things getting into the better direction now?!?
Big Metal bands have played in Brazil since the 80's and this has not
changed, Venom, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Morbid Angel, Ozzy, Judas Priest,
Helloween, AC/DC, Dio and several other Metal legends have played here.
It's much more difficult to see Death Metal bands over here, but this is
also changing. A few years ago the most of the Death Metal fans were not
really enthusiastic with the Brazilian bands, but nowadays things are
completely different, Metal fans in Brazil are supporting the Brazilian
bands more, not only bands that have played in Europe/North America yet,
but also the bands that still depend exclusively on the Brazilian
support. The whole Brazilian scene is growing, not only good bands
arising, but also good publications, labels and more fans supporting
this scene.
The whole band is heavily tattooed and is supported by the local
tattoo and piercing studio called Renegade Studio, as far as I know it’s
the kinda loyal supporting based on the good friendship, hmmm could you
shed a little bit light on this thing?!? And could you tell more about
your tattoos cos it is always to find out what they mean to its owners,
cos there is always some symbolic meaning behind?!?
The owner of Renegade Studio
(www.renegadestudio.com) is a friend of
us and the first guy in Brazil who supported REBAELLIUN. He's one of the
best tattoo artists in Brazil, and beside the tattoos he also designs
our official home-page (www.rebaelliun.com). We all have lots of
tattoos, we just choose what design will be tattooed and we do, we don't
think too much about it. I personally have some Manowar draws in my
arms, as well as some demons and fallen angels...
REBAELLIUN have done a bunch of gigs all round in Europe, touring
with bigger and smaller bands, but all these tours haven’t gone in the
expected way for example the catastrophic tour with Mystic Circle and
Limbonic Art and VISA hassles on the border of Poland?!? But it is
obvious there gotta be a lot of great insane gigs on the tour with Vader
and Vital Remains?!?
The last tour in Europe was surely the best one. We played 27 gigs
over 15 countries with Vader and Vital Remains, we all had a good time
on that tour. With "Annihilation" we plan to tour even more
than we toured promoting "Burn the Promised Land", we plan to
play at least 1 big European tour and a tour in North America as well.
The first part of this 'World Tour' already started in Brazil, we have
played in several different cities in our country and the response has
been fucking great.
But you will be hitting the road with the US Death metallers Diabolic
and once again Polish Behemoth, you seem to get along with Behemoth damn
well, but apparently looking forward to getting on the road with that
tour package?!?
I'm not sure if this tour will happen, but I can assure that
REBAELLIUN will not play on this tour, the album was not released yet,
and it would not make sense to tour Europe before
"Annihilation" is out. An European Tour of course is planned,
but I don't know when and with what bands.
All right Fabiano, it was a great opportunity to talk to you about
the upcoming album "Annihilation" and I wish you all the best
with the band and hopefully see you somewhere on the gig! So your words
mate!
Thanks Arto for your huge support once more. Check www.rebaelliun.com
and wait for the complete annihilation. Hail and kill!!
©2001 Metal Rules!!