Interview: Heaven’s Guardian (Brazil)

Interview by Sam / Dark Art Conspiracy

I had a pleasure to interview  Heaven’s Guardian’s guitarist Ericsson Marin and Keyboard player Everton Marin about their third full-lenght album “Signs” and  about what they have plans for the future.  

“Signs”  will be released by Megahard Records, 27th , January 2017.

1. Hello. First of all, please tell us about the history of your band and its members. Only thing I know is that you are described as a Heavy Metal band From Brazil.

Guitar Player: Ericsson Marin

Heaven’s Guardian appeared in 1997 in the Brazilian Midwest, starting a promising career characterized by the strength of its music and the talent of its members. With the proposal to carry a song with much energy to any part of the planet, the band prepared the first phonographic work titled “Roll of Thunder” (1999). The acceptance of the audience was immediate, making songs like Neverland and the title track, main references to the style of the band.

After that, there was a strong interest of various record labels in hiring the group. The band then signed with the Brazilian label Megahard Records, which released their first album called “Strava” (2001), produced by James Castro. International musical critics made reference to the melodic and heavy compositions of the band, and hits like Fighters, Freedom, Hope were sung by huge choirs in great live presentations. These performances were responsible for putting Heaven’s Guardian on the same stage as great icons of Heavy Metal, such as Saxon (England), Blind Guardian (Germany), Sepultura (Brazil), thus increasing the legion of fans who always accompanied them.

In 2004, the group launches the one that came to be the most elaborate and pretentious work, the album D.O.L.L. With the production of renowned Paulo Anhaia, it was inevitable that great publications would honorably criticize the work. All of them projected the name and music of Heaven’s Guardian to international levels. The album D.O.L.L. was distributed in several countries, including in Japan, where Burrnn Magazine classified it as indispensable for the rock fans, assigning a 9.0 score out of 10 rating. When completed 10 years of career, the band released the DVD and CD “X Years on the Road-
Live at Gyn Arena”. This work gave to the audience a great interpretation of their major songs, recorded in a live performance with 4,000 fans in a night of total inspiration.

In 2008, Heaven’s Guardian restructured its line up with the departure of the singer Carlos Zema and the arrival of the singer Mario Linhares (Dark Avenger, Harllequin). Mario Linhares stayed with the group until 2011, when Heaven’s Guardian ended this chapter with a brilliant performance together with the north-american band MegaDeth.

In 2013, the band went through deep changes again. This time, its line up was completely reformulated. The singers Flavio Mendez and Olivia Bayer, forming a strong and cohesive duo. The piannist Everton Marin was also integrated into the cast as a keyboard player, contributing to the maturing of the songs. In May of 2015 the band then went to São Paulo to join the famous producer Marcello Pompeu, Latin American Grammy for best rock album in 2010. Pompeu understood the new proposal and produced with great mastery the album ”Signs”, that is surprising the audience. The new sound is heavier, but without losing the melodic essence of the band. Signs was released on the Brazilian market in February 2016 by Megahard Records and and will be distributed by Pure Steel records worldwide.

2. The new album “Signs” comes out through megahard records on January 27th. 2017 and Encyclopedia Metallum says that it’s released through Megahard Records already on November 2015. Is this a second press ? Sorry I’m bit confused.

Keyboard Player: Everton Marin

In fact the album Signs was recorded in São Paulo in 2015 but the final press was in early 2016. The CD was only in the stores in February 2016. After a few months of promotion made by the band and also by our Brazilian Label Megahard Records we received a Proposal for album promotion in Europe by Pure Steel Records in Germany.So, the CD will be available throughout Europe and the USA on January 27th, being distributed by Pure Steel Records.

3. How did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support they have given you so far?

Guitar Player: Ericsson Marin

Everything just happened after the release of the first work of the band in 1999. Megahard Records contacted us and demonstrated interest in release our second our. This was done in 2001, when band released the album ”Strava”. In this area, trust in fundamental, and we believe in this partnership.

4. You are coming from Brasil. How is the life of Heavy Metal artists in Brazil nowadays?

Keyboard Player: Everton Marin

BRAZIL is a very rich country musically. We have marvelous bands that have already conquered the world like Sepultura and Angra. Great bands always pass by and even record live shows because they admire Brazilian fans. Increasingly we have bands that are very prepared and represent the country in a great way.

5. How would you describe your style than only Heavy Metal? I hear powerful and symphonic elements on your album (Signs) and hear it more as Symphonic Metal.

Keyboard Player: Everton Marin

The band has been included in the power metal style, but we do not include ourselves only in this style but also in others. Various elements of symphonic metal, melodic metal, traditional heavy metal, progessive and even thrash metal riffs with some more agressive vocals. We did a mix of several elements in order to create something original.

6. Is there any particular bands influenced your music? On song called Fantasy some male vocal parts sounding like Devin Townsend meets Marco Hietala (Nightwish) to me, in a good way.

Keyboard Player: Everton Marin

The band always tried to make a song with its own characteristics, trying to make the listeners see something innovative. But of course some bands have always been influences for us, such as Iron Maiden, Metallica, Dream Theater, Accept, Stratovarius, Angra.

7. Could you tell us about the lyrics / themes /concepts you focus on or plan to focus on? How did the all ideas come about, and how do they influence the writing process?

Keyboard Player: Everton Marin

The whole cd was very well programmed and studied. The disc concept is based on the dualities of life where every aspect can be directed towards the good way or the bad way. All letters have this same goal and shows that each person can make their personal choice using these elements for his own way. The artwork shows the Guardian taking care of the 10 elements through the symbols that represent them.

8. Do you remember your first show with the HEAVEN’S GUARDIAN and what was it like?

Guitar Player. Ericsson Marin

Definetly. It was a festival in a small high school in Goiania City, Brazil. Many bands played that night. Our set list included some covers of famous songs like ” From Whom the Bell Tolls (Metallica)” and ”Wasting Love (Iron Maiden). However, the other 5 songs in that night was already part of our own compositions, demonstrating that Heaven’s Guardian was coming to stay.

9. Let everyone know what the band has planned for the future.

Keyboard Player: Everton Marin

For this year 2017, the band has audacious plans. A tour in Europe in July passing through countries where the band was very well accepted and also the recording of the second dvd of the band that will be Heaven’s Guardian with a Symphonic Orchestra.

10. Anything else you think you want to add and your fans should know?

Keyboard Player: Everton Marin

We encourage our fans to join our social networks and get to know the band’s work. Signs is the fourth album of the band and will now be released in Europe on January 27th by Pure Steel Records.

Official Pages:

http://www.heavensguardian.com.br/

https://www.facebook.com/Heavens-Guardian-1682493308691379

TRACKLISTING:

1. Religion

2. Time

3. Strength

4. Journey

5. Fantasy

6. Dream

7. Change

8. Passage

9. War

10. Silence

Total Playing Time: 57:12 min

Discography:
1. Roll of Thunder (Demo, 1999)
2. Strava (2001)
3. D.O.L.L. (2007)
4. X Years on the Road (DVD, 2007)
5. Signs (2015)
LINE-UP
Olivia Bayer – vocals (female) Flávio Mendez – vocals Luiz Maurício – guitars Ericsson Marin – guitars Everton Marin – keyboards Murilo Ramos – bass Arthur Albuquerque – drums

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