44-435: Sarcófago was a Brazilian extreme metal band formed in 1985. They were fronted by Sepultura 's original singer, Wagner Lamounier , and Geraldo Minelli. The front cover of the band's debut album, I.N.R.I. , is regarded as a great influence on black metal 's corpse paint style make-up. That record is also considered one of the " first wave " albums that helped shape the genre. The band broke up in 2000, after releasing
88-424: A "cluster of metal subgenres characterized by sonic, verbal, and visual transgression ". The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground , non-commercialized style associated with the speed metal , thrash metal , black metal , death metal , and doom metal genres. Hardcore punk has been considered an integral part of the development of extreme metal in song structure and speed, apart from
132-538: A Sarcófago track ("Satanic Lust") in his The Best of Old-School Black Metal compilation, released by Peaceville Records . Of Sarcófago's I.N.R.I. , he said it was an "album" that "you buy or die". Euronymous , the deceased guitarist of Mayhem and erstwhile leader of the so-called " Inner Circle ", traded correspondence with Lamounier in the early days of Norway's scene . In the Lords of Chaos book, Metalion ( Slayer fanzine, ex- Head Not Found ) stated that Euronymous
176-497: A major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general. This early work by Venom, in combination with bands like Discharge , the Exploited and Amebix , as well as American hardcore punk, brought integral elements into the budding extreme metal landscape at the time. In 1983, Metallica would release their debut album Kill 'Em All , which fused elements of the new wave of British heavy metal with hardcore punk and
220-587: A newer crop of extreme metal bands such as Godflesh , Paradise Lost , Bolt Thrower , Deicide , and Morbid Angel . The Laws of Scourge became Sarcófago's best selling record, and responsible for their most extensive touring schedule to this date. Their tour trek also included their first international dates: they visited South American countries such as Peru and Chile , and in Europe they played shows in Portugal and Spain. In Brazil, their most important gig
264-450: A pioneer in the metal world for his extensive use of blast beats on this album— Sarcófago released I.N.R.I in July 1987. The band's attire on the album's cover —corpsepaint, leather jackets, and bullet belts— is considered the first definite statement of black metal's visual presentation and style. The music has been equally influential, a milestone in the development of the genre. Despite
308-459: A subsidiary of Zomba Records , which was a division of BMG , the label was closed in 2004 and later revived in 2015 by Sony Music Entertainment . Launched in 1983 by Martin Hooker, Music for Nations established itself as a European leader in the rock and metal world, with early signings like Tank , Exciter , Metallica (who had three gold albums while on MFN), Slayer and Megadeth paving
352-484: A temporarily awkward situation. In Minelli's assessment, "everybody had forgotten it" until two years later, when D.D. Crazy smashed a bottle over Andreas Kisser 's head, who had been recently recruited as Sepultura's new lead guitarist. Kisser was being "too much of a douchebag". Sílvio "Bibica" Gomes, Sepultura roadie and co-author of the band's Toda a História biography, was one of the prime instigators of that fight. During an interview from The Worst era, Lamounier
396-513: Is also "a big insult... It means motherfucker or a piece of shit in Jamaica". The animosity between the two groups eventually reached another major Brazilian band, crossover thrash act Ratos de Porão . The band got involved in the affair after a 1987 Belo Horizonte gig, when a portion of the audience kept jeering at the band. One version of that story states that Lamounier and Ratos de Porão singer João Gordo were antagonizing each other during
440-434: Is also considered one of the first wave black metal albums that helped shape the genre. Their second album, The Laws of Scourge , was one of the first technical death metal records to be released. Genres influenced by extreme metal but usually not considered extreme themselves: Music for Nations Music for Nations ( MFN ) is a British independent record label focusing mainly on rock and metal . Originally
484-600: Is characterized by high levels of distortion (also in the vocals – growling, gargling or screaming), less focus on guitar solos and melody, emphasis on technical control, and fast tempos (at times, more than 200 beats per minute ). Its thematic transgression can be found in more overt and/or serious references to Satanism and the darker aspects of human existence that are considered out of bounds or distasteful, such as death, suicide and war. "Visual transgression [can include] ... medieval weaponry [and] bloody/horrific artwork." According to ethnographer Keith Kahn-Harris ,
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#1732783244707528-405: Is their long-lasting feud with Sepultura. Although former Sepultura drummer Igor Cavalera eventually dismissed the entire affair as "child's play", the music press fuelled their bitter rivalry for many years. Their conflict partially contributed to Sarcofágo's fame as the perennial " black sheep " of Brazilian heavy metal . Tensions started after Lamounier parted ways with Sepultura, which led to
572-476: Is wearing long hair, Nirvana and Pearl Jam T-shirts, etc. We have nothing against these bands, but we have against jumping the bandwagon . It's not right when it becomes a trend , because massification dumbs people down. In late 1995, Sarcófago released the Decade of Decay compilation which, amongst other things, featured demo versions of their early songs and rare backstage photographs. The band described
616-497: The Crust EP . Former members, minus Wagner, played throughout Brazil in 2006 under the moniker Tributo ao Sarcófago (Tribute to Sarcófago). In 2009, rumors surfaced that the original I.N.R.I. line-up were reuniting for a small, high-profile tour, but proved to be false. A reissue of their back catalogue is in the works, a joint effort between Cogumelo Records and American label Greyhaze. Sarcófago ( Portuguese for 'sarcophagus')
660-705: The Wacken Open Air and Hole in the Sky festivals, as well as dates in London, New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo. He stated it would be the original I.N.R.I. line-up, but that this would be the only tour they would be doing and there would be no new material. A couple of days later, Lamounier himself wrote to the music press exposing this news report as a hoax. Inspired by Venom and Hellhammer , Sarcófago's early lyrics were openly Satanic. These lyrics frequently employed curse words and crude, obscene scenarios, such as in
704-449: The divine nature of Christ, declaring he was just a regular man who died for his ideas. On a less serious note the album featured "Sex, Drinks and Metal", a hedonistic ode to the headbanger lifestyle. Their next album, The Laws of Scourge , continued their new-found focus on more "reality-based" themes, with lyrics generally covering such death-related topics as suicide and homicide. The band had trouble again with American censors, with
748-527: The CD as a "gift" to their fans. Sarcófago's fourth and final album, The Worst (1996), sees the band slowing down in relation to the speed-oriented Hate , and having a better grasp of drum programming . Minelli and Lamounier saw this record as a "summation" of their career. With the turn of the millennium came the Crust EP, Sarcófago's swansong release. It was meant to be a preview of an upcoming album, but
792-569: The Christian messiah. Rotting musically differs from the raw, hyper-speed black metal of I.N.R.I. Session drummer "Joker" brought a different set of influences to the band (such as crossover thrash ); Wagner also quickly learned to play guitar, and contributed many of the album's guitar riffs . Rotting also marked their first change of aliases: the group's core duo renamed themselves "Wagner Antichrist" and "Gerald Incubus". Their visual department went through changes as well — they dropped
836-531: The Swedish black metal band Marduk has commonly referenced the Nazi Panzer tanks, which can be seen in works such as Panzer Division Marduk (1999). The British band Venom are one of the first bands to venture into extreme metal territory, due to their ideological shift into themes of evil , the devil and hell . Their first two albums, Welcome to Hell (1981) and Black Metal (1982), were
880-543: The arm and leg spikes because they made playing live difficult. Rotting was Sarcófago's first release to have international distribution, handled in Europe by British label Music for Nations , and by Maze/Kraze in America. Maze Records released a censored version of Rotting , blacking out the original cover and adding a sticker which read "Featuring the Original Lead Singer of Sepultura" without consulting
924-688: The band's core duo parted ways before commencing its recording. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Warfare Noise split album, Cogumelo Records and Gerald Incubus organized a comeback show with Sarcófago in Belo Horizonte. Along with Minelli, the line-up for that event was Fábio Jhasko on guitars, Manu Joker and old-time friend Juarez "Tibanha" on vocals. That performance was recorded and there are plans to release it in DVD format. Lamounier opted not to join this "Sarcófago Tribute" band for
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#1732783244707968-449: The band. Infuriated by the label's actions, Sarcófago sued them. Next came The Laws of Scourge (1991), considered a "revolution" in the band's career. A combination of better musicianship, improved production values, and more sophisticated songwriting landed them into technical death metal territory. Sarcófago's new direction in music was partly influenced by new members Fábio "Jhasko" (guitar) and Lúcio Olliver (drums), and inspired by
1012-402: The case of "Desecration of (the) Virgin", a blasphemous take on Mother Mary 's virgin birth . Whilst still polemical, by 1989's Rotting the band's stance on Christianity was more agnostic than Satanic. The original vinyl release came with a lengthy manifesto written by Lamounier, in which he criticized the alienating effect that Catholicism had on Brazilian society. The band also questioned
1056-424: The case of doom metal. Extreme metal acts set themselves apart from traditional heavy metal acts, such as Iron Maiden , Judas Priest and Motörhead , by incorporating more abrasive musical characteristics such as higher tempos, increased aggression and a harsher extremity. In the majority of the world, extreme metal does not receive much radio-play or achieve high chart positions. Extreme metal's sonic excess
1100-761: The defining characteristics of extreme metal can all be regarded as clearly transgressive : the "extreme" traits noted above are all intended to violate or transgress given cultural, artistic, social or aesthetic boundaries. Kahn-Harris states that extreme metal can be "close to being ... formless noise", at least to the uninitiated listener. He states that with extreme metal lyrics, they often "offer no possibility of hope or redemption" and lyrics often reference apocalyptic themes. Extreme metal lyrics often describe Christianity as weak or submissive, and many songs express misanthropic views such as "kill every thing". A small number of extreme metal bands and song lyrics take radical (left or right) political stances; for example,
1144-416: The end produces the same homogenized sound as that of a drum machine. The band cut their hair short, in protest of the masculine long hair style becoming popular due to the massive success of grunge in the early 1990s. Men sporting long hair has traditionally been associated with counterculture groups, and it is especially present in the metalhead subculture . Wagner declared: Every douchebag around
1188-448: The group. The latter would play drums on Sextrash 's debut, 1990's Sexual Carnage . When Rotting first came out it stirred a huge amount of controversy due to its cover art — a traditional grim reaper figure licking what appears to be Jesus Christ 's face. It was based upon a medieval painting. The cover artist himself, Kelson Frost, refused to paint a crown of thorns over the man's head, which would readily identify him as
1232-598: The label closed down. The company's catalogue – which had also previously included titles from artists as varied as Lost Horizon , Tigertailz and Frank Zappa – was transferred to parent company Zomba Records Group . In December 2011, The End Records signed a distribution deal for 50 of MFN's catalog albums. In February 2015, MFN relaunched through Sony's commercial department, with plans to reissue albums from their catalogue including Anathema , Paradise Lost , Opeth , Spiritual Beggars , Cradle of Filth and others. They also intend to, in
1276-492: The lack in desire to play professionally. However, Wagner still pursues his musical interests — he plays in the crust punk band Commando Kaos. In October 2007, Sarcófago flew to Santiago, Chile to play in the Black Shadows Festival, alongside death metal pioneers Possessed . In March 2009, Wagner supposedly announced that Sarcófago would reunite, and their tour itinerary would include appearances at
1320-551: The lyrics of the re-recorded version of "The Black Vomit" being forcibly omitted from the CD booklet as well as the entire "Prelude to Suicide" track. The band left a widespread influence on black metal circles worldwide, particularly among the Scandinavian portion of the so-called " second wave " of the genre. "It is sobering", claimed Terrorizer magazine, "to think of what wouldn't have happened had 'I.N.R.I.' not been released". Fenriz , drummer of Darkthrone , included
1364-687: The lyrics to the song "Antichrist" on their Bestial Devastation EP. Sarcófago's vinyl debut was on the Cogumelo Produções split album Warfare Noise I , originally released in 1986. Sarcófago contributed the three tracks "Recrucify", "The Black Vomit" and "Satanas". Their music and lyrics were considered shocking at the time, something which brought them a considerable amount of attention. The band's line-up at that point consisted of "Butcher" (guitars), "Antichrist" (Lamounier; vocals), "Incubus" (Geraldo Minelli; bass) and "Leprous" (Armando Sampaio; drums). With new drummer "D.D. Crazy" —hailed as
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1408-532: The members forming Celtic Frost in its place, which proved very influential on the progression of the genre. During this period, the line between extreme metal genres were blurred, as thrash metal bands such as Slayer, Sepultura , Sodom , Destruction and Kreator were integral to the first wave black metal scene. The front cover of the Sarcófago 's 1987 debut album, I.N.R.I. , was a major influence on black metal's corpse paint style make-up. That record
1452-593: The other, deceiving their mother, cheating a friend... For money, I'll bet they're capable of anything." Annoyed by Lamounier meddling in "private family business", Max Cavalera's answer came through "Bumbklaatt", a song on Soulfly 's debut album . Grow tha fuck up you waste / Can't you see what it takes / To be a real man / Talking shit all your life / No integrity or pride / Fucking mind full of lies / You fake / You waste / You bumbklaatt... Max explained that, in Jamaican patois , "Bumbklatt" means " blood clot " and it
1496-469: The record's now-legendary status, Lamounier was unsatisfied with the end results, voicing complaints over the quality of the recording sessions and the band being plagued by inner strife. After the release of I.N.R.I. , Sarcófago briefly disbanded. Lamounier moved to Uberlândia to study economics at the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), while Butcher and his brother D.D. Crazy left
1540-490: The show. Another one tells that when Gordo asked Sepultura frontman Max Cavalera who was " gobbing " at his band, Max accused Sarcófago. Tensions flared up once again five years later when Sarcófago, instead of Ratos de Porão, were picked up to be the opening band of Dirty Rotten Imbeciles ' first Brazilian shows. Ratos de Porão and friends from São Paulo thrash metal group Korzus invaded Sarcófago's backstage area; João Gordo then proceeded to sucker-punch Lamounier while he
1584-408: The style of Motörhead , becoming the first thrash metal album, and would eventually be certified triple platinum. A few months later, Slayer would release their own thrash metal album Show No Mercy , influenced by the sounds of Venom, Judas Priest , Iron Maiden , and Mercyful Fate . When extreme metal band Hellhammer first began making music, it was generally panned by critics, leading to
1628-515: The way. As MFN grew, the company expanded its operation to include not just licensed acts from the United States, but its own signings. It released albums by artists including Paradise Lost , Opeth , Anathema , Cradle of Filth , Testament and countless other metal bands. As well as the traditional metal bands MFN went on to sign up and coming UK bands such as Tigertailz who had a top 40 album while signed to Music for Nations. In 2004,
1672-474: The wealthiest countries in the world could have produced such a scene. Although he liked Immortal , Wagner dubbed Euronymous a "nutcase" and considered Burzum "shit". He also criticized black metal's purposely lo-fi recording aesthetic; Lamounier said that Burzum's guitar timbre "sounded like it was recorded through a transistor radio ". They are also considered highly influential on the development of war metal . An oft-cited aspect of Sarcófago's history
1716-575: Was "obsessed with them because wore lots of spikes and corpsepaint. He said he wanted every band to be like this […]." Satyricon covered Sarcófago's "I.N.R.I." on their Intermezzo II EP , also featured on the Tribute to Sarcófago album, released by Cogumelo Records in 2001. Key Gorgoroth members Infernus and King were also influenced by Sarcófago. Notable black metal groups from neighbouring Finland were also affected by Sarcófago's early output. Beherit founder Nuclear Holocausto said Sarcófago
1760-459: Was asked to comment on Sepultura's well-publicized break-up, when Max Cavalera left the band in January 1997. Lamounier declared he was not surprised that things turned out the way they did as, in his words, "with what I knew of them, I think it's quite normal that one brother should betray another in that family, they don't measure the consequences to get what they want. So, a brother backstabbing
1804-545: Was formed in 1985 in Belo Horizonte , Minas Gerais, Brazil. Equally indebted to Finnish hardcore punk and early extreme metal groups such as Bathory , Celtic Frost , and Slayer , Sarcófago's goal was to create the most aggressive music ever. Wagner Lamounier, who parted acrimoniously from Sepultura in March of 1985, was invited to join the band. Although Sepultura never recorded anything with Lamounier, he contributed
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1848-410: Was lying drunk on the floor, and Gordo's friends attacked the rest with motorcycle chains . A massive brawl ensued, with a member of Dirty Rotten Imbeciles' road crew getting his arm broken. Extreme metal Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. It has been defined as
1892-585: Was one of "the greatest influences" for the band; Mika Luttinen from Impaled Nazarene said that "nothing tops Slayer 's Reign in Blood or Sarcofago's I.N.R.I. , you know". Their version of "The Black Vomit" was included in Tribute to Sarcófago . Lamounier, however, has been critical of several of the bands influenced by Sarcófago, especially bands from the Norwegian black metal scene, wondering how one of
1936-541: Was to open for Texas crossover thrash pioneers the Dirty Rotten Imbeciles in São Paulo. Musically speaking, Hate is notable for its stripped-down, straightforward approach and the use of a drum machine , the latter sparking some controversy. Lamounier claimed to have no qualms about using this device, on the basis that most death metal drummers use trigger pads for recording purposes, which in
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