Brazilian four-piece Void Tripper issue their new single “Burning Woods” tomorrow, April 23, through Abraxas, and in the video below, it’s easy to see the social perspective of the lyrics. They’re not long into the eight-minute track, for example, before one sees Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro with a swastika on his head. Fair enough. The clip is a wash of images recent and historical and the song, as the band explains below, does not shy from calling out modern issues like the 2019 fires that raged through the Amazon rainforest and, indeed, Bolsonaro’s widely-regarded-as-negligent response to the COVID-19 pandemic in South America’s most populous nation.

I respect the shit out of that. Frankly, it seems like in heavy underground bands, a lot of people put blinders on for fear of alienating listeners. Not like anyone’s getting on MTV if they tone it down. What, you’re gonna be on the radio if you don’t say something about climate change? Fuck it, go all in if that’s what you want to do. Say what needs to be said.

So, yes, kudos to Void Tripper — the noted lineup of guitarist/vocalists Mario Fonteles and Anastácio Júnior, bassist Jonatas Monte and drummer Gabriel Mota — on being willing to speak their mind at the outset. The debut album, titled Dopefiend, from whence “Burning Woods” comes, is set to release in the middle of the year — so, June? July? — also with the backing of Abraxas, and the band have a number of shorter releases on their Bandcamp page, the 2020 live album Dead Inside… But Still Live and 2019’s says-it-all Sabbath Worshipping Doom EP among them.

The new collection will run five tracks and I haven’t heard the full thing yet, but in addition to putting it all out there lyrically, “Burning Woods” unfurls a massive, fuzz-caked lumber in the post-Monolord/Electric Wizard vein, a steady roll established and maintained for the duration that speaks to the band’s commitment to their stylistic cause. There’s no pretense. There’s no fucking around. They hit it and they go. Right on.

Don’t know about you, but I remain a sucker for killer riff put to good use. So here’s one, followed by some more background from the PR wire.

Enjoy:

Void Tripper, “Burning Woods” video premiere

Preorder: https://voidtripperdoom.bandcamp.com/album/dopefiend

A reference to Stoner / Doom Metal in the State of Ceará, the four-piece Void Tripper will release on April 23 through the Abraxas Records (RJ) their new track, “Burning Woods”. The single is the first advance of the band’s first studio album entitled “Dopefiend”, with release planned for the first semester.

“Dopefiend” is the result of the band’s preparation to be their best release with five tracks of a massive, dull and solid sound that promises to please the most demanding listeners in the strands. Recorded mostly at home ( with drums recorded at the Casa de Ensaio studio) and mixed / mastered at Cosmos Art Studios the album features the production of Rafaum Costa (musician and producer from Rio Grande do Norte).

“Dopefiend” is, in the words of the band itself, “a journey without a return to psychedelic and dirty insanity, with strong influences from Sludge, Stoner and Doom and presenting the problems of today’s society with acid lyrics”. The band criticizes the posture of the Bolsonaro government taking as an example their negligent attitudes during the 2019-Amazon forest fires, until the most recent days with their constant denial about the pandemic and corruption scandals, drawing parallels with authoritarian rulers that emerged throughout of the history of humanity. In the words of the band, “while Bolsonaro plays at being president, Brazil burns”.

“Burning Woods” will be available on streaming and Bandcamp on April 23.

“DOPEFIEND” Tracklisting (release in mid-2021)
1- Devil’s Reject
2- Burning Woods
3- Hollow
4- Satan and Drugs
5- Comatose

BAND:
Mario Fonteles – guitar/vox
Anastácio Júnior – guitar/vox
Gabriel Mota – drums
Jonatas Monte – bass

Void Tripper on Thee Facebooks

Void Tripper on Instagram

Void Tripper on Bandcamp

Abraxas on Thee Facebooks

Abraxas on Instagram

Abraxas on YouTube

Tags: Abraxas Records, Brazil, Ceará, Dopefiend, Void Tripper, Void Tripper Dopefiend

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 22nd, 2021 at 11:04 am and is filed under Bootleg Theater. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.