Subject was discussed by Sepultura’s guitarist in participation in the podcast Amplifica, by Rafael Bittencourt
Although Brazilian rock is full of great guitarists, the instrument has not always been at the forefront of the greatest national classics of the style. musicians like Andreas Kisser (Grave) It is Rafael Bittencourt (creek) know about it – and discussed it.
The conversation took place during the podcast edition amplifies, presented by Bittencourt and with Kisser as the guest of the occasion. As transcribed by I have more records than friendsthe pair talked about the late Eddie Van Halen when the theme “guitar solos” came naturally.
Andreas commented that the Brazilian rock of the 1980s did not feature the guitar as a highlight, unlike the national representatives of heavy metal. names like Titans It is The Paralamas do Sucesso were cited as examples of bands that sometimes preferred to put saxophone solos in the songs.
“This is one of the great criticisms I have of national rock. There was that ‘limbo’ between the end of Led Zeppelin and the arrival of Van Halen in which the saxophone began to take over the solos, with the guitar in the background or third plan. And here in Brazil it was no different, bands like Titãs, Paralamas…”
Among those who favor guitars the most among the great representatives of the so-called “BRock”, the name given to Brazilian rock in the 1980s, Strict outrage It is Red Baron were remembered by the musician from Sepultura.
“Ultraje a Rigor had a slightly more metal vibe, and Barão Vermelho was also a little less ‘shy’. But the rest…”
Repudiation of the chorus pedal
In response to his friend’s thoughts, Rafael Bittencourt highlighted that guitarists at the time “should have fought” to put their solos in the songs, from the perspective that they could have “taught people to like” the culture of this instrument. It was then that Andreas Kisser remembered another detail typical of Brazilian rock recordings in the eighties: the ostensive use of the chorus pedal.
Also used in other instruments, the chorus effect mixes the original sound with a new version slightly out of tune and out of tune, which causes an echo sensation. It’s like a doubling to make the “sound mass” more robust – something very useful to give an impression of stereo sound to an originally mono recording, but which over time gained only the function of echoing and creating a very characteristic atmosphere. .
Andreas, then, mentioned that in previous decades, guitarists like Lanny Gordin (Gal Costa), Luiz Carlini (Tutti Frutti), Sérgio Dias (Mutantes), in addition to members of 14 Bis, played “a lot of solos” with protagonism in the songs. But the 1980s “changed the concept” and even put the chorus in evidence.
“So much so that I hated the ‘chorus’ pedal. Because everybody used that shit! […] O Tony Bellotto [dos Titãs] He told me once that he had to go to the studio to re-record the guitars so he could play them on the radio. That’s brutal.”
Another name from the time that didn’t like the use of chorus on the guitar is wolf. In an interview with Whiplashthe musician said that one of the great merits of his album of re-recordings of national rock classics, Politically Incorrect Anthology of the 80s By Rock (2018), was to offer a more natural timbre to the instruments.
“We really wanted to sound more rock, you know? From what I know of people at the time, they complained a lot when you went to record and the guy in the middle of the night put on a guitar with chorus, you know? It took the weight off the songs. I tried to privilege a language of contemporary and dry rock. […] We opted for traditional instruments and, even if we tinkered, we tried to keep as much of the structure of the songs as possible.”
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
