HEAVY METAL ROCK LABEL - INTERVIEW

Heavy Metal Rock is an old metal store/distro & label  from Brazil, it is one of the most famous labels of our country. KREPUSKULUM called with Wilton (label director) abot brazilian metal scene and more.

Krepuskulum: You know the Brazilian metal from the beggining and lived the scene of the eighties. What does think moved in the Brazilian metal in this years?

Wilton: It moved a lot since the years 70 and 80, today the bands have more easiness in recording a cd and more quality studios, instruments, etc... The bad side of that easiness is that the scene this being saturated; always existed many rock bands, but us year 90 triplicated. It is like Luiz of the "Baratos Afins"(another famous brazilian label) 7 years ago: " will arrive one hour that will only have members of bands attending in the shows , therefore everybody will have a band ".
More or less that is happening, but I believe that in little time the market will balance and the bands with more originality and talent will survive. That is not alone in term of Brazil, in the exterior it is the same thing, but little bands are original.
That is good for the fans, because they have more options, but for the band it is difficult.

HEAVY METAL ROCK began as store and today it is already a label respected in the Brazilian and world underground, speak to us a little about the history of your label.

I began in 1983 as store, and in 84 I made the first festival with Vulcano, Virus, Sanctuary, bands that were standing out at that time. In 85 we recorded classic " Vulcano Live " here in Americana, I already made partnerships with Zhema of Vulcano and Rock Brigade as label. But my first release for my own label was " Taurus - Pornography " that had distribution for Polygram, that was beginning of 90, later came other works with Krisiun, Mordeth, In memorian, Daizy Down, Mandatory Suicide, As Profecies, Nocturnal Worshipper, Insanity, etc...
Now I am working with Tuatha De Danann and we are going very well already entering in the third circulation . The cd is being distributed at several countries as: Sweden, U.S.A., England, Japan, Argentina, among others.
That decade promises a lot for the label to grow.

The two newer releases of HMR are of very different styles, the  TUATHA DE DANANN makes a melodic heavy of medieval influence, already the  compilation CRUST X GRIND invests in bands of those contusing styles. Which  the approach that you use for select the material to be released?

n fact Tuatha De Danann is my release, already the Crust x Grind compilation I did in partnership with Sérgio of the NO FASHION RECORDS. I don't worry a lot about the style, being underground and the band with true proposal, it is being worth. It is logical that I have more contacts death/black/heavy, but inside of those contacts I get to pass Hc/crust/punk, etc.

Do you believe that the Brazilian metal is already in conditions of competing   with the metal made in Europe and USA? Which bands would highlight in the   Brazilian scene now and which do you believe that it will stand out?

I believe at a long time in that, what lacks for the Brazilian bands it is producing, somebody that east the band in studio. Today already it exists producers and qualified studios, I would mention of Carlos Lopes of the DORSAL ATLANTICA, that made a great work with Imago Mortis's first cd. Pompeu of KORZUS that this with an excellent studio in São Paulo. I want to say, the personnel that felt in the skin the difficulty in producing a cd; if today it is still difficult it imagines 15 years ago.
Bands that I highlight are Krisiun, Rebaellion, Tuatha De Danann, Dark Avenger, Symbols, Dragonheart, Headhunter D.C, Mysteriis, Silent Cry, among many others, in fact has a lot of bands that promise.

Wath is the medium circulation of a CD of HMR and as it works its popularization outline and distribution?

The initial circulation is a thousand copies and later I go making the replacement. We to sell some three thousand copies, as it was the case of In Memorian, Mordeth and Tuatha De Danann. I hope to surpass that mark until the end of the year.The popularization is made by direct suitcase, magazines, specialized programs, zine online, shows...

leaving to the side more personal, which are the rock styles and metal that more please you and which the 10 better albums of the history of the metal in your opinion??

I like rock since 72, I began with Sweet, Nazareth, Deep Purple, Kiss... practically all the weighed bands of the seventies I loved. In the eighties give new things, Manowar, Metallica, Slayer, Trust, Loudness, Raven, Yet, etc...
In the nineties the wave of Seattle was very cool, bands as Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Meluins..
The bands death doom as Paradise Lost, Anathema, Carcass, Hypocrisy, Death, etc
In to Real, short a lot of thing and my taste is very eclectic, on that moment I am hearing a lot of Cryavox, Sonata Artica, Sentenced, Dark Tranquility, Gardenian...
The 10 better for me:
-Deep Purple - Machine Head
-Aerosmith - Rocks
-Nazareth - Loud'n'Proud
-Status Quo - Blue goes you
-Kiss - Alive I
-Made in Brazil - Jack the estrupador
-Slayer - Show no Mercy
-Iron Maiden - Killers
-Pink Floyd - Dark side...
-Rush - Rush

I loved hundreds of albums, of those bands even has very more Lp's than I like. Really, it is difficult to choose 10 among thousands. It is logical that those are the best for me, but as say people " Taste doesn't discuss, it respects ".

Many Headbangers still prefers the vinyl to the CD, mainly when taking in consideration the aspect of the cover art that loses a lot of its impact in the CD. Which is your opinion on that polemic?

LP has your magic, there is not doubt, I have about 400 Lp's kept that will die with me. The cd already has its quality and comfort, it is legal you to place a cd and to be calm, listening, or to program the music that you want to hear.
I think the vinyl doesn't return more in spite of having a good search. The cost to produce a vinyl is larger than the cd, that is that disturbs, if the cost lowers, they even can wake up interest of the recording ones, but it is a little difficult.

In your opinion what are the largest underground labels of the world in the present time? Why?

The underground labels that are very well is Nuclear Blast, RoadRunner, Century Media, Metal Blade, Massacre, that in the international, already in the national I consider a lot to Cogumelo, Demise, Mutilation, Evil Horde and Megahard because they are releasing many good bands with a structure of " Major ". It is logical that the national labels don't have that structure due to great difficulty in distributing the cd's, few shops supported those labels and also due to financial crisis that the country there are years.

Wath are the next releases programmed by Heavy Metal Rock?

The guaranteed even is the second of Tuatha De Danann, but I am in negotiation to release some cd, but I not eat this certain I prefer doesn't comment, but as soon as to confirm I disclose.

Space to leave your message.

I want to ask to guys supports the Brazilian bands, have curiosity at least in to hear the cd's and to verify that has a lot of band that this with great work. Go to the shows, only like this the underground here in Brazil will survive and say no to drug and   violence.

Contacts: http://hmrock.cjb.net  & hmrock@netamericana.com.br