10 promising underground Brazilian bands to look out for

The Brazilian metal scene has always been incredibly rich and diverse. Since the days of Sarcófago, Sepultura, Vulcano and Dorsal Altânica, Brazil was and has always been an interesting breeding ground for a unique sound, spanning over every subgenre imaginable. While not many bands from Brazilian lands have had such a profound mainstream impact as Sepultura or even Angra, the underground has been boiling as of late, being filled to the brim with amazing new bands. This text will attempt to compile 10 of the most promising names from this rich underground scene (in no particular order).

Honorable Mentions: Last Blood (groove/crust from Ceará), Allen Key (hard rock/heavy metal from São Paulo), Eskröta (crossover from Rio Claro/São Carlos, São Paulo), Impietus (thrash/death metal from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Skin Culture (groove/djent from Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo), Visceral Suffering (death metal from Ceará), Hatefulmurder (metalcore from Rio de Janeiro), Rot (grindcore from São Paulo), Cactek (death/thrash metal from Rio de Janeiro), Oitão (hardcore from São Paulo), Armiferum (prog/power metal from São Paulo)

Psycho Decadence

Psycho Decadence is a band which stands out quite a lot in the Brazilian underground scene. They are a blackened deathcore band with an introspective but chaotic sound. Their debut EP “Nosebleed” showed flashes of greatness and a sound not commonly heard from Latin American bands. Some have even gone on to describe them as a mixture of Lorna Shore and Slaughter to Prevail.

The band also recently signed to Heavy Future Records, record label of Brazilian metal influencer and musician O Cara Do Metal.

Listen to “Psycho Decadence” by Psycho Decadence below:

Mudness

Originally formed in 2019 in the city of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Mudness brings a unique blend of Electric Wizard and Windhand influenced melodic stoner doom. Their 2023 self-titled EP has received great reviews from critics all around the country. Sonically, Mudness sounds like a modern take on all the classic stoner doom bands but with heavy sludge influences. Their self-titled debut definitely deserves a listen for its simple yet very well executed metal.

Listen to Mudness‘s self-titled debut below:

Vazio

Vazio have been making waves in the Brazilian black metal sphere since the release of their debut EP in 2017. Touching on dark and spiritualist themes, they are able to blend incredible studio production with a sinister black metal sound. They have also been able to share the stage with a variety of notable names from the global extreme metal scene such as Uada, Incantation, Monstrosity, Hexis, Mayhem and Belphegor. Apart from the international acts, they have also played with notable Brazilian names such as Krisiun, NervoChaos, Ratos de Porão and even Rot, another staple of the underground and have even shared a split with Vulcano.

Their 2020 album “Eterno Aeon Obscuro” has garnered rave reviews, and their upcoming album “Necrocaos” will most likely not stray from that.

Listen to “Ancestral Rebelião” by Vazio below:

The Troops of Doom

Formed by seasoned underground veterans Alexandre Oliveira (drums, ex-Eminence), Jairo “Tormentor” Guedz (guitars, ex-Sepultura, ex-Overdose, ex-The Mist), Marcelo Vasco (guitars, ex-Necromancer) and Alex Kafer (vocals/bass ex-Necromancer, Enterro) The Troops of Doom bring a modern take on a classic death and thrash metal sound to the table. Their 2022 album “Antichrist Reborn” shows clearly that old school death and thrash is very much still alive and kicking. If their sound had to be described in one word, it would be “relentless”.

Listen to “Dethroned Messiah” by The Troops of Doom below:

Spell Garden

Rio de Janeiro doom metal group Spell Garden are surely one of the most exciting bands to come out of Brazil in recent years. Touching on a wide range of themes such as spirituality/religion, the occult and the pros and cons of modern society, they have proved again and again that they are some of the most versatile groups out there. Spell Garden has not in any way lacked output, as since their formation in 2022, they have already released 3 full-length LPs, “Witches Coven”, “Spell Garden” and “The Sage”.

Listen to Spell Garden‘s self-titled album below:

Damn Youth

Damn Youth has proven to be on the forefront of an emerging crossover thrash resurrection happening in Brazil as of late. Both their albums “Breathing Insantiy” and “Descends Into Disorder” in 2018 and 2023 respectively have perfectly captured the essence of 80s and 90s crossover, exhibiting a similar sound and themes, but making the best of modern production and mixing techniques. Damn Youth are definitely becoming one of the bigger names in Brazil’s rich and well-respected crossover scene.

They have also shared a split with another quite promising Brazilian crossover band, Surra. Even if they are quite a young band, they have proven time and time again that they do have all the tools needed to revitalize the Brazilian crossover scene in the near future.

Listen to “Dollar is Imperialism” by Damn Youth below:

Vocifer

Coming out of the state of Tocantins, an unusual location when it comes to metal, Vocifer has stunned reviewers and critics alike with their flaming power metal sound, seamlessly incorporating elements of the rich culture of Brazil’s northern region. Their latest work, “Jurupary” has managed to stand out in the sea of 2023 power metal releases, with its deeply Brazilian soundscape. “Jurupary” was produced by former Shaman frontman Thiago Bianchi, has its orchestration done by Fabio Laguna (former Angra and Shaman keyboard player) and has a guest appearance from Luis Mariutti (former Angra, Shaman), putting it deeply into the Angraverse.

In January 2024 Vocifer will share the stage with Brazilian power metal legends and former Shaman/Angra members Luis and Hugo Mariutti, Thiago Bianchi and Aquiles Priester in São Paulo, opening for Mariutti’s project Shamangra along with AuroControl and FireWing, other budding metal bands from the Brazilian scene.

Listen to “Rain Of Doubts” by Vocifer below:

Test

There is no band on earth similar to Test. Period. They are one of the most interesting groups in metal, ever. While experimental grindcore may sound like a recipe for hearing loss, this should not deter you from Test. Consisting of only two members, João (guitars, vocals) and Barata (drums), they have managed to create a never seen before sound in their deep discography. They also happen to have some of the most original album concepts, such as 2019’s “O Jogo Humano”, which contains 53 microsongs, meant to be listened to in a different order every time, in order to form different sentences and full songs, and 2023’s “Disco Normal”, recorded in odd locations using odd equipment (it even has a movie). While Test is not on conventional streaming services, it is definitely worth it checking their Bandcamp page or even going out and grabbing a physical copy of their work.

Their trajectory happens to be quite peculiar, as they started out playing impromptu concerts outside venues to try and attract people who were leaving bigger concerts. Inside venues, they’ve shared the stage with bans from all over the world and have played in major extreme metal festivals such as Obscene Extreme and Maryland Deathfest.

Listen to “Ele Morreu Sem Saber o Porquê” by Test below:

Siegrid Ingrid

Siegrid Ingrid is not your “traditional” promising band, as they were originally formed in 1989 and after a 20 year hiatus have been active since 2019. They have been long considered one of the most iconic names in the underground, as their new album “Back From Hell”, to be released in December promises to be as brutal as ever. Their brutal blend of grind, groove and death metal filled to the brim with impactful lyrics is something unique that deserves to be listened to.

Listen to “Nojo” by Siegrid Ingrid below:

As The Palaces Burn

Unlike many other countries, modern metal hasn’t really stuck in Brazil. However, As The Palaces Burn is a band which perfectly blends thrash and death with core elements. Their new album “Drowning Into Shadows” (released on October 31^st) showcases very well the band’s skills and versatility, being able to span a wide array of subgenres and still maintain a consistently good sound.

Listen to “Into Emotions” by As the Palaces Burn below:

The Brazilian underground scene is filled with hidden gems, and deserves to be explored by all. This text went briefly into 10 of these bands, but there are so, so many more bands to be shared that this article could have infinite parts. Go explore the rich Brazilian undergroind scene, you are sure to find some good stuff down there.