By Kelley Simms
CLASSIC BRAZILIAN METAL
From left: Eduardo Baldo (drums), Benhur Lima (bass), Renato Osorio (guitar),
Iuri Sanson (vocals), Abel Carmargo (guitar)
Photo by Karina Kohl
B
razilian power metal band, Hibria,
set the bar high with its 2004 debut
album, Defying The Rules. On the
band's self-titled sixth full-length release,
the Brazilians show what a seasoned band
can do with a few years under its belt.
Nearing the 20-year mark as a band,
Hibria has steadily achieved a loyal fan
base in their native land. They've also ventured off their continent and have been
successful in parts of Europe and far away
places as the Czech Republic, Poland and
Japan. Unfortunately, the band had to
postpone their upcoming north American
tour, including last month's ProgPower
USA appearance, due to Visa issues. Other
than this minor hiccup, the band is on a
dynamic high at the moment.
IE: What was your mindset while writing
the new album?
Iuri Sanson: We always think about composing something fresh. When we make
new songs, we want them to sound the
way we'd love to play it live for the rest of
our career. And I can tell you for sure that
Hibria is this kind of album. I think that we
have reached this atmosphere and this one is
the most powerful, dynamic, melodic and
"Heavy Metal" albums in our career so far.
30 illinoisentertainer.com october 2015
IE: Opening track "Pain" has such an
explosive groove-based rhythm. Was this
the clear cut choice for the opener and how
hard is it deciding on the song sequence
for this album?
Iuri Sanson: It is really hard to decide on a
track list, but "Pain" was the perfect choice
for us. "Abyss" and "Tightrope" could be
the first track too, but "Pain" starts like a
punch in your face. As we are changing
some features in our music, "Pain" represents them just perfectly. "Pain" is heavy,
fast, melodic, with guitar duets and a
great bass solo. What else could we imagine for the opener?
IE: "Pain" and "Ashamed" includes a
horn section, and "Life" features ܘ