Rebaelliun – “I’ve been seeing many bands doing things like that just to hide their weak music and their mediocre talent…”

Brazil is Back! Ronaldo Lima of Rebaelliun will tell why…

Tell something about the band’s history.
Rebaelliun’ was created almost 2 years ago. In march ’98, me and Penna (we played together before from 92  to 96 in another Death Metal band) decided to return to the Metal scene (after a break of 2 years – from 96 to 98) and start with a band which the main purpose is play a kind of extreme, brutal, fast and chaotic music. As we didn’t get any support from anyone in our country, we decided to rehearse just some months to record our legendary “Promo Tape ‘98” and to go to Europe 1 month later to spread the name of the band (we sold everything we had to do that).  When we landed in Europe we worked hard to get some gigs and to show people our music, so we played 19 gigs during 3 months in countries like Holland, Belgium and Germany. Two of these concerts we played as open act for Deicide. After 400 tapes spread in Europe in a few weeks, and very good responses from the crowd where we played, we finally signed a deal with Hammerheart Rec. In April ’99 our Promo Tape was re-released in an MCD called ‘At War’, which got superb reviews in magazines all over the world… Back to Brazil we started to work in a full length album which one was released in November ’99, it’s called ‘Burn The Promised Land’.

You just record a full length, tell something about the recording.
We recorded it between June/July ’99 in Brazil at a modest studio we knew (the same studio where we’ve recorded our “Promo Tape ’98”). It contains 9 tracks of hellish and pure extreme music. We’re very satisfied about the sound of this record but I have to say you we had lots of work mixing and finishing the songs… it was like a probation for us. At the end of mixing we were totally exhausted but satisfied with the results as well. Now that’s released we hope people enjoy it as we do.

You named influences of Mozart and Bach, do you want to let that it come forward in your music?
We really have some influence from classical music and instrumental music as well… but it’s just like a particular delight listening to the great composers and their music. Mainly, Rebaelliun’ has influences of extreme Metal music with regard the compositions….always brutal and powerful music.

You’re going on tour with Satyricon. Do you think is that a good band to tour with?
I can’t answer it ’cause I don’t know personally these guys. But I’ve heard very well about this band and their last release. However, it was changed and Hammerheart is arranging another tour over Europe beside Limbonic Art.It’ll be between January/February 2000. All the info about this tour can be found at Hammerheart Home Page and also soon on the Rebaelliun’ official homepage (http://rebaelliun.cjb.net)

What band would you really like to tour with?
There are so many bands we’d like to tour with… but the favourite are: Morbid Angel (the great masters of brutality) or Krisiun (Kings of killing)

How did you get in touch with Hammerheart?
They heard about us thru a tape we sent them when we were touring Europe. Also, we met them several times at some gigs and they were blown out by our music, so they did an offer to sign with us. We already had received some offers from several companies but Hammerheart did the best one, so we decided to sign with them.

Your homepage was made in Belgium, Christophe Szpajdel promotes you…how did you get in touch with all these guys?
Well…we landed in Belgium (Brussels) when we arrived in Europe and we just got a few addresses and telephone numbers from some Belgian bands and pubs ’cause Christophe Szpajdel was in touch with us some months before the trip. He is in contact with many bands from Brazil and he’s very interested in Brazilian acts from a long time. He was one of the most important people who supported us when we arrived in Europe. However, we knew many guys during our tour including Johan Andries – who makes the Unofficial Home Page. Belgian metalheads gave us all their support and respect, so we’re proud to call them our friends and we’re very glad for them for everything they did for us. Thank you!

You’ll play new written songs on tour. Are they different to your other material?
We are gonna play the songs from ‘Burn The Promised Land’ of course, and another one totally new which we’re finishing. We put this one on the set list ‘cause we wanna show people how amazing will be the next songs of Rebaelliun. The Songs from the debut-album are in the same vein of the ‘At War’ MCD, but more extreme and faster with much better production as well. We will never change our music, we’ll just try to improve it even more each album.

Brazil has always had some good bands (Sepultura, Krisiun, Sarcofago). How are things at the moment?
Name some good new bands from Brazil. I think it’s rising a new conception of extreme, fast and brutal music overhere. It’s happening ‘cause new bands are influenced by acts like Krisiun and maybe Rebaelliun’ as well…they’re watching the ascension of these bands and felling like an enthusiasm about how could be the new sonic universe of the extreme Metal music played nowadays by Brazilian bands. Think it’s a fact that is happening all over the world in respect the extreme Metal… About new good bands from here, I’d say: Abhorrence, Anesthesia, Ophiolatry, Mental Horror and Interior Soul.

What do you think of the Metal scene in general?
I think things are going better nowadays…more gigs, labels, tours, zines and mags. Bands get more production and much more support than before. But, it’s not fucking great yet… there are a lot of things to be improved with respect union and anti-fascism attitude. We must be united to be strong and to avoid narrow-minded thoughts .

What are you 5 favorite new albums and your 5 all-time favourite albums?
The new ones are:
“Burn the Promised Land” – Rebaelliun
“Apocalyptic Revelations” – Krisiun
“Formulas Fatal to the Flesh” – Morbid Angel
“Choronzonic Chaos Gods” – Centurian
“Among the Catacombs…” – Nile

The all-time favourite are:
“Altars of Madness” – Morbid Angel
“Covenant” – Morbid Angel
“Reign In Blood” – Slayer
“Legion” – Deicide
“Beneath the Remains” – Sepultura

You already received a lot of good critics. Any negative things, too?
We didn’t received any negative critic until now. All the reactions and reviews are superb and extremely positives. So, we’re proud, people understand our musical conceptions and enjoy it as well.

How do you write songs? The whole band at once or does everybody come with ideas he made up individually?
Actually, most of songs come from the guitar, so me and Penna create almost all songs (guitars parts) as a draft. The mainly idea is there, on that parts, but
the arrangements (very important, too) are made by all the band members in the rehearsals. Sandro (drummer) put the drums arrangements and Marcello works with the vocal and bass parts until we reach a good result in a view of everybody.

Do you have any special live acts, like a lot of Black Metal bands do?
We don’t have any special thing at now…I think it’s cool when you do that to improve the concert or to turn the show more aggressive but, I don’t like if you use too much things like tons of nails and make up or something. I’ve been seeing many bands doing things like that just to hide their weak music and their mediocre talent…this bores me!

In what way do you want Rebaelliun’ to develop: more brutal or more melody or something completely different?
We’ll be always fast and brutal… extreme is our music ‘cause extreme we are and we fell this damned life that way. Of course we wanna put other elements
into our music as well…but it’ll be always in the name of the most blaspheme and chaotical way we could do that!

Last words…
I’d like to say thank you for this interview! To all Metal maniacs all over the world: A warmachine called Rebaelliun’ will unleash their wrath on this damned land in a pure demonstration of fury and hellish havoc on stage!! European manicas – See you on “Burning Europe – The Promised Tour 2000”!!