Interview With Brazilian Black/Death Metal Giants "Vulcano"

VULCANO is one of the leading bands of Black / Death Metal from Brazil . It is considered the first extreme Metal band of the country and possibly the South American continent .

Founded in 1981 , difficult time when Brazil was going through a strong political , social , economic and musical transition. Emerged in Europe the NWOBHM bands that revolutionize traditional Metal creating a more aggressive sound that became known as Black Metal , Death Metal . And so began the history of this band that historically helped to root and spread Heavy Metal in Brazil and it is considered the first band of Black / Death throughout Latin America, his first record was between ‘82 and ‘83 with 7″ EP “Om Pushne Namah” sung in Portuguese which is now a relic of the Brazilian underground Metal.

They are storming the world with their new album this April 29, with the release of the album “Stone Orange” Check out the interview with Zhema Rodero below.

Greetings from Metalheads Forever Magazine, I’m Keith Clement, the Editorial Head, How are you today?

Hello Keith, hello Metalheads readers, I’m Zhema Rodero the main man in Vulcano passing here to talk something about my band and our newest album “Stone Orange”, everything okay, so let’s go on!

Your 12th Studio album “Stone Orange” is to be out on April 29, 2022, Can you tell me about the songwriting and production behind it?

We finished the European tour in December 2019 and then on 13th March 2020 the album “Eye in Hell” was released and from there the gigs and festivals were canceled here in Brazil and there was nothing to do but stay at home, so I started to write the songs that would become the “Stone Orange” album. At the end of the same year, I received green light from Mighty Music for a new album and I start to work focused, this was all very fast because there was so much time available because of the lockdown. I wrote songs on Guitar Pro and sent them to the drummer, he made the arrangements and returned it to me, and I did the same process with the others in the band, we only met at the studio to record those songs. I usually keep a lot of riffs stored in my computer and when I’m free I take them and turn them into a song, this is how I usually work

Can you tell me a bit about the theme behind this album and about the cover art?

Here I need to pointed something, I usually dedicate a quarter of the album to open themes addressing common things that belong to the normal day of the headbanger, the band or even themes that happen around the world and in a way it is perceived to us. Another small part of the album I dedicate to fanciful themes, fictions and things like that and finally I dedicate almost three quarters to themes that are dear to me like Alchemy, Hermetism and Occult Sciences. I do this because on a lot of Vulcano albums I abused these conceptual themes and then I realized that the fans don’t really care about it. The most concept album I made was “The Awakening of an Ancient and Wicked Soul” look for it! Returning to the question, “Stone Orange” is an allusion to alchemical thought, which has intrinsically the four elements, earth, water, air and fire, which are the fundamental constituents of all terrestrial bodies; the four qualities, cold, hot, dry and wet, which are the properties that constitute the elements and the three principles Sulfur, combustibility, Mercury, brightness, metal and Salt, stability. The cover art tries to show this by appropriating the three symbols, the creature protecting the secret key, the four Guardians, of the four Ages of the four Elements. I think that’s it! Sorry, maybe this matter is boring.

What are the plans for the release day on April 29?

Vulcano will play in “Armagedon Festival” in 23th April besides Venom Inc. Mutilator, Dorsal Atlantica and others, we will take this event to commemorate this release, and the other hand this album will be released in CD, maybe LP format and also in digital format on all streaming platforms at the same time

How are the touring plans for Vulcano this year?

The things here in Brazil works this way, it’s necessary a minimum six months to get the flying tickets and for that to happen it is necessary to be sure about where and when the first and last gig will happen, then I think 2022 will be a year that there will be no tour outside Brazil for Vulcano.

Stone Orange is yet another masterpiece of a metal album from you guys. With extreme and a blend of Black and Groove, it sounds outstanding as an entire album to listen to. How do you feel about the outcome?

I really liked the final result of this last album and that’s exactly why the album has 16 songs. It was very difficult to choose the ones that would be left out of the album, they are all good songs in my opinion. Despite totaling almost 47 minutes, it doesn’t bother you because each song has its own approaches. I was able to put elements from the 70’s because from the 80’s I already have it in my veins. I’m 63 years old so there’s no denying this natural and intrinsic influence

Four decades of music and almost 19 releases on the sleeve a massive thing from you guys throughout, how has the road of this journey been for you so far?

It’s not so hard my way with Vulcano because I always have the right people by my side and I have a huge passion for Metal Music, but I’m always I keep thinking about what to do after an album release and then I make plans for a side project where I would do all the compositions on bass, some kind of blend of groove and blackness, but in the end I always end up writing a new Vulcano’s album, maybe that’s all I know how to do, (laughs). That kind of situation is what keeps me alive, It’s like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey, you know.

Being a pioneer in metal music in Brazil and South America, how do you feel about the history that you have created and the accomplishment that you have done in the history of Metal?

Honestly, when I think about it, I have a feeling of pride, I think that maybe I will stay longer in history, with the name of my band, than myself. I’ve never run after fame and success, because I’ve always put Family and Profession first, and the guys who play with me know this because it’s the first condition I put on them before they accept an invitation to play on Vulcano, but recognition is a pride that cannot be denied

What is the biggest milestone in the career of Vulcano?

I don’t think there was just one! There were hundreds of situations, events, moments that marked our career, it would take a meeting of close friends to remember one or another situation.

I know there will be a whole lot of great moments throughout your career, would you like to share a few of them for the fans?

Okay, so I’ll tell you about one of the most recent ones. At the concert in Berlin 2019, I was at the Vulcano merchandise boxing when a person bought three t-shirts and then the driver who was working with us said, look there is a famous fan. I didn’t quite understand and he insisted that he was Till Lindemann. Wow!! Till was at a Vulcano gig dressed in a band t-shirt!!!!???? I took a picture with him and when he left he went to the dressing room and said “awesome!”

What would be the upcoming plans for the band?

For the band I have plans for a short tour here in Brazil and I have hopeful an invitation to tour in Europe at the end of 2022 can happen.

I also have in my mind produce an EP and invite Angel, Arthur “von barbarian” and Fernando Levine to participate together.

Finally What would be the message for the fans around the world?

I would like to thank you for this interview opportunity and say that Vulcano has a long career that can be researched on Bandcamp and I suggest younger readers start listening to our albums from the latter 2022 to the first 1983, so they can have a better understanding about the band