It was only a question of time until Armored Dawn from Brazil would take the rest of the (metal) world by storm.Their debut album Power Of Warrior (2016) already caused a major stir in South America, their shows with
Megadeth, Symphony X, Rhapsody, Fates Warning and Sabaton proving to an enthusiastic audience that
something big was in the offing. The international press praised the group’s homogeneous stylistic mix composed
of epic grandness along the lines of Iron Maiden, virtuoso technique and a close affinity to Brazilian metal culture
in the tradition of Angra and Shaman. All this and much more are the ingredients of their new album Barbarians
In Black, which reveals the sextet’s amazing evolvement and is scheduled for release on AFM on 23 February 2018.
It’s first and foremost their boundless musical enthusiasm and the awesome power of their performance which
enthral their listeners on Barbarians In Black from the very first note. As soon as the rhythm section consisting of
Fernando Giovannetti (bass) and Rodrigo Oliveira (drums) puts the pedal to the metal and guitarists Timo
Kaarkoski and Tiago de Moura and keyboardist Rafael Agostino’s fingers begin to fly over fretboard and keys in
breathtaking style, the perfect basis for frontman Eduardo Parras has been created. Parras lends the songs their
characteristic profile, enhancing them with haunting lyrics. “Although we often sing about war and battles, our
messages are always positive,” says Parras about Armored Dawn’s lyrical concept which frequently features lyrics about Nordic mythology. He is referring to the anthemnic ´Men Of Odin`, among others, with its strong hookline, contemporary
arrangements and haunting chorus. The group’s greatest strengths, however, come into effect in particular on the
driving ´Bloodstone` and on ‘Beware Of The Dragon’ with its combination of heavy riffs and atmospheric subject
matter. Equally recommendable: ´Sail Away`, the first single to be released from the album, supported by a
brilliant video clip which Armored Dawn shot in the area around Sao Paulo. Says Parras tongue-in-cheek: “Every
band member had to play a small part, which was a major challenge for us despite the fun we had. But the best
performance was delivered by the eagle Darwin who stars in the video.” The most unusual number on the new
album is called ´Survivor` and according to Parras is pure “hard rock in true Sunset Strip-style”.
Barbarians In Black was mixed and mastered by Seeb Levermann (Orden Ogan, Rhapsody Of Fire, Almanac), who was Armored Dawn’s favoured candidate for the job. Parras: “Our target was a strong sound that’s heavy, tender and melodic in one. We’re all heavily into Seeb’s band Orden Ogan and knew that we would get the sound we had in mind. The result really is fantastic.” The same can be said of the amazing cover artwork courtesy of Brazilian artist Joao Duarte (Circle II Circle, Angra), which reflects some of the song titles (´Eyes Behind The Crow`, ´Beware Of The Dragon`, ´Barbarians In Black`) as well as the band name.
And so their second album Barbarians In Black sees Armored Dawn make a major step forward. Following their European tour with Saxon, they will take every opportunity to impress their fans with their great musical potential. In other words: it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on these “black barbarians”!
LINE UP
EDUARDO PARRAS (Vocals)
TIMO KAARKOSKI (Guitar)
TIAGO DE MOURA (Lead Guitar)
FERNANDO GIOVANNETTI (Bass)
RAFAEL AGOSTINO (Keyboards/Rhythm Guitar)
RODRIGO OLIVEIRA (Drums)
hardmanpr / AFM Records