INTERVIEW: LUCIFER PRIEST (BRAZIL)

Originating from the vibrant city of Fortaleza in the beautiful country of Brazil, Lucifer Priest stands as a shining testament to the excellence of heavy metal craftsmanship in a nation adorned with a profound musical heritage!

TheNwothm: Greetings! First of all can you tell us the band name, who is the band and where you are from?

L.P: Lucifer Priest is a Heavy metal band formed in 2021, in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil.

TheNwothm: How did the band form and is there any interesting backstory?

L.P: Lucifer Priest is made up of John Naza on vocals and drums, Anderson Wildfire and Diego Mesquita on guitars and backing vocals and Paulo Sales on bass. The band was started after the dissolution of another long-lasting band from Fortaleza called Dynamite. The band existed since 2012 and had a more Hard Rock orientation. As the years progressed, Dynamite took a more Heavy Metal direction in their way of playing. From then on, the need to reformulate the band arose, hence Lucifer Priest, which is based on traditional Heavy Metal with occult themes.

TheNwothm: How did you choose the bands name? Its pretty epic!

L.P: This is a very frequently asked question. The name arose from the need to bring the band’s theme directly. It is also due to the fact that the members are big fans of Judas Priest and their importance within the global Heavy Metal scene. After choosing this name, the association between the bands became inherent to our existence.

TheNwothm: You guys are from Fortaleza, Ceará in Brazil! For people who do not know, what is it like there? Can you tell us bit about your culture and the country?

L.P: Brazil is a very diverse country. Our country is divided into five large regions that have their own elements in their culture, whether in the way of communicating (although everyone speaks Portuguese), food and cultural practices. In our case, Fortaleza is one of the best capitals in the country to live in, although it faces common problems throughout the country, such as: Public Insecurity, Poor income distribution and lack of urban infrastructure. In general, the Brazilian people are very hospitable, we have many leisure options and as a common point, we are a persevering people.

TheNwothm: And how is the metal scene there? Especially for heavy metals these days?

L.P: In our state there is a very dichotomous musical scene when it comes to Heavy Metal. On one side we see cover bands of Heavy Metal classics playing in bars and more expressive events (including big bands). On the other hand, we have original bands without any incentive producing material and paying for it out of their own pocket, in addition to playing at events with little structure in exchange for beers or spare change. Original extreme metal bands have a little more incentive but the panorama is not very different.

TheNwothm: Which bands have you enjoyed the most when watching live performances in Brazil?

L.P: Iron Maiden in 2016 was a huge milestone for us. It happened at a time when several big bands also came to our city.

TheNwothm: How do you perceive the reactions of Brazilian metalheads to live music compared to those in other countries? Would you describe the Brazilian metal scene as having a significant amount of love and passion?

L.P: Brazilian culture itself is very musical. This is reflected in the Brazilian people’s intense relationship with music, whether local or imported. This intensity is reflected in Heavy Metal and it is no surprise that Brazil is almost always a destination for big bands. Rock in Rio is the best example of this, as in addition to being a profitable festival, it carries the energy of the Brazilian public, who sing along to classic songs from start to finish. If you pick up the first edition of Rock in Rio in 1985, you will see this literally. For this edition, this is even more commendable, given that our country has just emerged from a dark political moment that directly influenced the Rock and Metal music scene, as well as the diffusion of the big Metal names that were consolidating at the time.

TheNwothm: What can you tell about the two singles you released “Death Is Coming Soon” (2022) and “Acid Trip” (2023.) What is the story behind each of these songs and what made you decide to do singles first as opposed to an EP or album?

L.P: Death is coming soon began production as Dynamite and was completed as Lucifer Priest. In parallel, we began to sketch out the initial riffs for Acid Trip and began recording it after the previous one was completed. The determining factor for starting production through singles instead of na EP or album was the lack of financial resources. We had intended to release a Full Album since the Dynamite days, but financial problems combined with personal problems and the departure of some members of the former band prevented the completion of this work earlier.

TheNwothm: So going back were any of you in any other projects before Lucifer Priest and if so did those projects have any influence on your current sound?

L.P: We were all in other projects, but Dynamite was the embryo of Lucifer Priest. John, Ânderson n’ Diego are founding members. Paulo had a brief stint in recent months.

TheNwothm: Musically who has been your biggest influences? Both now and in the past?

L.P: It’s unanimous among the band to say that our main influences come from NWOBHM. Classic bands like Angel Witch, Demon, Tokyo Blade and Iron Maiden are examples of bands that we are all big fans of. We also flirted with Speed ​​Metal by Exciter, Agent Steel and others. Bands from NWOTHM are also on this list, such as Skull Fist, Enforcer and Ambush, bands that we had the pleasure of seeing live and also sharing the stage. Our influences are not restricted to this, but it is what you will find most easily in our songs.

TheNwothm: Come on! Who spends the most time in front of the mirror in the band?

L.P: HAHA HÁ! I cannot commit my brothers to this question. Look at the photos and draw your own conclusions.

TheNwothm: And who is always the first to setup gear and last to pack away?

L.P: The bass player is always the quickest to set up the equipment HAHA. Guitarists usually come last. In general, we are very agile, modesty aside.

TheNwothm: “Unexpected Presence” is your new album which put out back in January! What can you tell us about the writing and recording process for the record? How did it all come together?

L.P: Cool question. We usually meet outside the studio to sketch out riffs and lyrics. After having na initial sketch we started playing in the studio until we got the rhythm part right and after several sessions we assessed whether the songs were ready to be recorded. From there we went into the studio to record. It was like that with all the songs on “Unexpected Presence”

TheNwothm: Can you tell us about each of the tracks on the album and some of your personal favourites?

L.P: The Album begins with the instrumental track Unexpected Presence, which appeared during the recording process and is na experimental track. Later comes Dancing Underfire, which also brings experimental elements combined with traditional Heavy metal. This was the last track recorded for the album and has received very positive feedback. Death is coming soon already highlights the band’s true sound: Agitated and Heavy, with striking riffs and a mind-blowing solo. Personally my favorite.

L.P: Satan’s Command follows the heavy and accelerated line, however, it is a more direct and frenetic Heavy metal. Night of the beast is the sound that differs most from the whole. It has melodic elements of a Power ballad without losing the weight and occult theme. Take me now and Heavy Like Hell follow the more direct Heavy Metal line, without losing breath. And finally, to close in style Acid Trip, considered by some of us to be the most difficult sound to play as it carries with it all the characteristics of the previous songs in a single song, is the icing on the cake.

TheNwothm: The artwork is pretty damn awesome! Who design your artwork and where did you get the idea for it?

L.P: Thanks for the feedback! The art was made by Xicão Designer. Na initial AI sketch was used that was digitally modified. The idea came from some of our references, especially the film Trick or Treat (1986). From there we added musical references to arrive at na 80s theme.

TheNwothm: Looking forward what are your touring plans for 2024?

L.P: We don’t have anything concrete at the moment. None of us support ourselves through music, so it is impossible to leave our country without a third party to finance na event of this magnitude. Even a tour in Latin America represents a stratospheric financial expense, considering our conditions.

TheNwothm: Whee can fans buy your music and merch?

L.P: We are preparing shirts and CDs to distribute in America and Europe. We are looking for record companies to speed up the distribution process outside our country and you know that in 2024, the music market is a little closed when it comes to Metal.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LuciferPriest.oficial

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciferpriest_oficial

TheNwothm: Anything else you would like to mention?

L.P: It’s an honour to have the opportunity to have this conversation with you. On behalf of the band, I thank you for the space granted, as bands need this to encourage completely independent authorial production. Unexpected Presence is a work that represents years of dedication and personal effort from all members and all the recognition we receive through it is truly gratifying. So, thank you once again.

Lucifer Priest