On 1986, the Brazilian Metal scene was on fire due to the first Rock in Rio festival (that took place in January, 1985, and due to the shows of Iron Maiden, Whitesnake, Ozzy Osbourne and Scorpions, and we can say that Queen was important too). The number of fans increased in a way that made commercial possibilities come true back then. The hardships inherited from 21 years of military dictatorship would last and affect things a little more (as in the economy). And after the commercial success of “Século XX/Bestial Devastation” (the original release that showed the world the names of Overdose and Sepultura), Cogumelo Discos Produções decided to make efforts to release more work from bands of those days. But how to trust that things would go the same way once more? An old strategy happened: the release of a compilation with four bands, and each one of them would put two songs on the album (such formula was used on “SP Metal” collection here in Brazil on 1984 and 1985).
The four bands chosen: Chakal, Mutilaton, Sarcófago and Holocausto. All of them are bands from the same city: Belo Horizonte (the same city of the label), with one or two demo tapes released prior to the compilation, and some of them already known by the public outside of the state of Minas Gerais (Sarcófago played at Rio de Janeiro some months before the compilation).
All the bands recorded their songs at the same studio, J.G. Estudios, in August 1986 on an 8-track (an eight-track reel-to-reel magnetic tape format used for multitrack recording in professional recording studios). The studio was very good (according to an interview with Guilherme “Wiz”, Chakal drummer, to Heavy Culture YouTube channel in Brazil), but one can imagine the conditions back then: no producer or sound engineer in Brazil really knew how to record a Rock band than imagine how things were to bands on extreme Metal genres… It was do or not do, so they did it!
The cover has a symbolism: the four riders of the Apocalypse, and of course, it represents the bands on the album.
Chakal is the first band on the compilation.
The songs depict that even using a Thrash/Death Metal outfit, the band had a different appeal than the others: they didn’t deny the use of different influences (as the melodies appearing on the guitar arrangements). Again: they were a bit older than the guys of the other bands, so this is the reason for the feel of Hard Rock of the 70s and traditional Heavy Metal harmonies on “Cursed Cross” (a faster song with technical drumming and a different use of the tunes of the screams on the vocals) and “Mr. Jesus Christ” (where some depictions of Thrash Metal are clearer, especially on the technique used on guitar riffs, bass guitar playing and rhythmic shifts).
Mutilator is the next.
The band had a more traditional Death Metal work back in those days, having as major influence Hellhammer, Slayer, and early Hardcore acts, sharing many similarities with Sepultura on “Bestial Devastation” and Morbid Visions” days. The band had a powerful and impacting work as depicted on “Believers of Hell” (where some guitar attacks similar to Slayer during “Haunting the Chapel” and “Hell Awaits” can be heard) and on “Nuclear Holocaust” (another fast song, with very good grunts of the vocals, and a solid work of the drums). If only the band recorded their album “Immortal Force” with the same lineup (namely, with Silvio “SDN” on the vocals)…
The next one: Sarcófago.
The quartet was the most extreme band on the compilation (what can be seen on the pic), showing their mix between Black Metal lyrics with Finnish Hardcore music, Death Metal, and Black/Thrash Metal influences. The long and eerie intro “Recrucify” comes before “The Black Vomit” (a song that depicts clearly their musical formula, with strong riffing of the guitars and morbid vocals), and then comes “Satanas” (one of their early hits, with the intense fast playing of bass guitar and drums supporting the morbid and weighty ambiance of the song).
Closing the compilation comes Holocausto.
Focusing on Portuguese lyrics with focuses on the horrors of war, the band depicts a musical work influenced by Voivod (on “War and Pain” age), Sodom and Hardcore, in a primitive and straight forth form, as a musical spit directly in the ears. “Destruição Nuclear” (with intense hardcorized riffing and insane vocals shows the personal mix between Death Metal and Hardcore) and “Escarro Napalm” (the strength of the simple work of bass guitar and drums is sensible) can cause aches in the neck after hearing to such songs.
Some versions reissued after the 2000s had bonus tracks: the demo songs of Chakal (“Children Sacrifice”), Mutilator (“Evil Conspiracy” and “Visions of Darkness”), Sarcófago (“Christ’s Death” and “Satanic Lust”, and Holocausto (“Massacre”).
After all these years, and with all the problems, “Warfare Noise I” still has its charm, and deserves a new release with all these bonus tracks named above.
9/10
Review by Marcos Garcia
Managing Editor: Filipe Gomes
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