Saturday, November 26th, was the day of packing up my backpack and go to Vitória/ES and enjoy a rock music in the celebration of 12 years of Milicia Fest (Milicia Community). I was hoping to see Puritan after some (troubled, so to speak) events and also to see, for the first time, Antidemon playing live and hoping that, live, they were better than in the last album.
The place chosen for the event, “Centro de Referência da Juventude” [EN: “Youth Reference Center”], is easy to find and has a very cool structure/physical space for small events, as it was in this case.
With a slight delay in relation to the scheduled start time and playing to very few people (even being a free event), Átrio started your well done indie rock, though it was harmed due to the sound quality, which wasn’t in its peak. I had never heard of the band, but when I saw that Silas (ex-Puritan) was the vocalist, I stopped to watch this quintet, and what a good sound to listen to! It has a modern catchin’ beat, but it’s made with much quality and effort; nothing here sounds free or far-fetched. It’s a band that has everything to catch the kids who are starting to get interested in rock music and have no prejudices of listening to something more modern.
The second band to perform is already known in the scene and I already had the pleasure to see it three times, but none of their previous performances were compared to this latter. Fire is now as ‘power trio’, and seems that, due to this, the band wanted to make something heavier. Cláudio Passamani is now freer as guitarist and he used very “metallic” tones, and made too many solos, demonstrating all his technique that was developed over than 20 years of career. The classic ones V8 Jesus, Jesus Freak , I Can’t Hold You and the new You Gotta Love were great in this lineup, and I do hope the band keep this format. It’s a pity that the sound failed in some moments, but nothing that could screw up the performing of the trio from Vila Velha.
Well, it had come one of the most expected moments of the day for me, Puritan’s performing. B-Max (bass/vocals), Flávio Melo (guitars) and he, (in B-Max words) the “pistol of lust”, Fábio Kiefer (drums) were there. Unfortunately, the band was a few days without rehearsal and this reflected in the show, that started lukewarm; it didn’t sound like the Puritan I knew; although had happened several technical problems and this chilled out the climate… when the former vocalist Silas took the stage, the audience went wild! He has an unusual stage presence, it’s really astonishing!!! His vocals, even being kinda muff, was intact and the songs Sentença De Fogo, A Mãe Das Metetrizes E Abominações Da Terra, Quando O Sol Se Converter Em Trevas and Redenção were responsible for some of the best moments of the event. It was possible to see ‘blood in the eyes’ of the musicians, besides the joy for the brief meeting. After that, it was overwhelming, and the show was well balanced. So sad it wasn’t filmed; I’d like a lot a bootleg of this performing.
I particularly like being surprised by bands that I don’t know, or the ones I didn’t care about so much, and I could being surprised by the performing of Praise Blues, responsible for one of the best gigs of the day. Slide guitars, a harmonica, a pulsating bass guitar, that crushing drums and scratchy, hoarse vocals – did it need more? The quintet rocked with a pulsating, pleasant sound to hear and enjoy. Some songs of the Brazilian Christian songbook were shown and I believe that some songs of their own as well. This group is a great bet to the decaying musicianship of the national “gospel music”. They need to record something urgently!!!
An old known from the city appeared, Polyphone. I particularly like the band playing live, but it didn’t please me with the studio version yet. With its usual Alternative Metal, it was one of the gigs that most excited and had more participation of the audience. Sandro (vocals) has an impacting stage presence and he always counted on the participation of the audience. It’s sad that they didn’t do a cover of Alive, from P.O.D.
I have a funny story with Vox. I can never watch a gig of them. I always get a tad down because of their previous gigs I watched… haha. But this time I could enjoy the sound that Pecê Garcia & the fellas do. An Old school Hardcore that is pleasant to listen to. The presence of the audience was also good, even a crew got together to sing with the mic, haha. This is one more band that needs urgently to release a stuff. It’ll be tough waiting until 2012!
Before the next gig, it happened a theatrical performance of Trupe Mula De Balaão [EN: Balaam’s Mule Troupe], where a play titled Coração de Pedra [EN: Heart Of Stone] was performed, and (I believe that) it moved many of the present ones.
Audience gathered, lights adjusted and a sound of good quality (once the sound gear no longer showed any problems), all that was missing was just Batista (bass/vocals), Juliana (drums) and the new guitarist (of whom, unfortunately, I forgot the name) from Antidemon get into the stage. Some can bad-mouth the band, but we cannot deny the charisma they have, specially Batista. The band played literally with their audience in their hands for the entire show. With songs from their albums Demonicídio, Anillo De Fuego and Satanichaos, 19 songs were performed, besides the newest ones Welcome To Death (first English composition of the band) and Vírus. And here lies a comment: these new tracks have a more aggressive dimension, with some tinges of pure Death Metal. If the new album have decent and good tones, it’ll be overwhelming!!! The new guitarist has a good stage approach and he’s a true metalhead. The old songs improved a lot with him. About the drummer, I have to apologize, because I always heard that she was too feeble live, but what I saw was a woman with a strong catchin’ beat; it was frightening to see her attacking the cymbals!
Closing balance? Positive! So sad I couldn’t stay for the second day, but I’m sure it was so blesser as this first day.
Of course I had my famous stories, that always happen when I go to Vitória, but I’ll let them for another day.
Written and translated By Márllon “Roxx” Mátos
