Posthumous are one of the most promising Death/Black Metal bands from Brazil. Their "My Eyes, They Bleed" debut album has just been unleashed on Evil Horde Records and we caught up with their guitarist Gustavo Angelbutcher for an update.
1. When and where was Posthumous started ? Could you give us a brief biography ?
Well, Posthumous was created right here where we live, in the south part of Brazil, by the ends of 1992/beginning of 1993. Since the very beginning, when it was started playing under the name of Posthumous, until nowadays, the principles remain the same: creating music to feed our desires, and as they do not use to change too much (ya' know, we have own personalities and make what pleases us!), it means fast, heavy, savage, melodic songs which we try to keep of our own. Posthumous faced some line-up changes, but anyway it seems that they have always been favourable to the band. I mean, the new members which got in the band always come with new ideas to intensify even more the music of Posthumous. We have released 2 demo-tapes, "Posthumous" (february-1.994) and "Lust Upon the Altars of Blasphemy" (april-1.997), respectively, featured one song in Shiver Records 5-CD set "Sometimes... Death is Better", released by the end of 1.998, and had our debut-CD "My Eyes, They Bleed" released in june, 1st, by Evil Horde Records from Brazil. Right now we are yet working with a new drummer who joined us 3 months ago, and the songs are even more wrathful than any stuff we have wrote before. Wait and see...
2. Please tell us more about demo tapes, tracks on compilation CDs and things you released before the debut album.
In fact there were 2 demo-tapes, as I mentioned above, released in very different circumstances, I'd say. The first one, self-titled, was released with a completely different line-up, featuring old vocalist, bassist and guitarist. Taking in consideration that this demo-tape was released about 1 year after the band started playing together, the result was quite good by the time it was released. Posthumous received a lot of great comments from 'zines and individuals, and many gigs came after it was putted out. One year after the debut demo-tape, controversies among the members arose and one of the guitarist, as well as the bass-player and the old vocalist, got out of the band. Shortly later, new members were just recruited and in the winter of 1.996, Posthumous entered the studios to make a session and to check all its stuff out. We recorded 10 songs plus an introduction, and as the result pleased us, we decided to release a new demo-tape in april of the year 1.997, also featuring 4 songs. "Lust Upon the Altars of Blasphemy" had a better production than the first effort, and more structured songs, which I believe is quite natural and provided by developing of musical abilities and things like that. Well, with this demo-tape we got our name much respected here in Brazil, and received great comments from lots of 'zines, magazines, individuals, bands and labels from here and abroad. About the compilation, it was something quite simple: we sent our stuff to Shiver, and the owner just invited us to be a part of the compilation, which features an exclusive track called "Splendour on Fire", taken from the 1.996 studio session.
3. How did you get in touch with Evil Horde Records ?
In fact I know Agathodemon, the owner of the label, since a considerable amount of time, and he has always been a true warrior who holds high the Brazilian Black/Death Satanic Metal flag. Just after we released the promo-tape '97, I sent him a copy and after some weeks we were offered to sign a deal with Evil Horde Records for 2 albums. For me it's a real pleasure and a deep honour to be a part of the cast of Evil Horde Records, since the most important factors for a label are presented there: a serious work and also that we have a good relationship which goes much beyond this business-shit.
4. Please give us a full insight to your album "My Eyes, They Bleed". The recording, the tracks, the concept, the line up on the album and the artwork.
Well, the CD is the result of some hard years making music for self-satisfaction, and even if there are things which could have be done in a better way if we had better conditions, I don't think they would change too much the essence of the album itself. We recorded it during october of the year 1.998 in a studio which is located here in our city, and then to achieve a better sound, we just called Martinez, guitarist of one of Brazil's oldest Death Metal bands, Panic, to mix the stuff. It was recorded 10 tracks (2 re-recordings from our promo '97) and also a cover version for Sarcófago's "Christ's Death", which is a band all the members of Posthumous were always huge obsessed by. The songs on the album have some uniform way amongst them, and I believe they are pretty good tracks, with some good structure and fucking melodies, don't you think? This is our way of making music, but if you listen to the version for Sarcófago's, you will see that we just played it more or less in our way of playing, so you can conclude that our music has much to do with the old Brazilian tradition of brutal and extreme music, but with some deep emphasis on melodies. Anyway, if you get back in the time, you can see that in 1.987, there were bands from Brazil like Chakal, for example, which were melodic yet aggressive, and what a cult album it is!!! The concept on the album is just it: Fucking Brazilian Extreme Metal! When we recorded the CD, Posthumous was Gustavo (guitars), Luciano (bassguitar), Ricardo (guitars), R. Satã (vocals & screams) and Marlon (drums), but this last one just left us in the beginning of this year, and then we are working with a new drummer called V. Profanator. Here where we live, the area is worldwide known because of the high concentration of industries of ceramic tiles, and there are limited categories of these products which are hand-made. I mean, the design and the paintings on the tiles are done by artists who just work in it. The cover of our CD was done by a person who works in one of these industries, and he painted it following our concept. The original artwork is good, but Evil Horde Records manager Martha Bormann was the responsable for intensifying even more the essence of the cover, with some adaptations and modifications done with graphic computer, which resulted in this excellent product you have at your hands.
5. The title of the album demand an explanation….
It's something which just reflects the morbid side of death, and has everything to do with dark fantasy. You can just read it and portrait in the way you think it's it for you. We have always been huge fans of old and new terror/horror movies, as well as books and tales and things like those, so the title fits really great to our personal tastes and also to the name of the band itself.
6. Please give us an insight to your lyrics.
Lyrics are something which are quite difficult to explain, I'd say. Of course there are some of them which are done and developed from movies and books, so they have an obvious meaning, but anyway the marjority of the lyrics which are done by myself come from my personal feelings, which is fucking hate against all these fucking dogmas and rules imposed in the name of god. There's no sense in wait for things to come from nothing or staying praying under the icon of jesus christ or whatever like a demented brainwashed fool. It's quite funny when I see people who give all their personal resources to fucking institutions and shit like this. In Brazil nowadays there is a very strong media related to all this shit, and it has also a positive side to it: it makes us even more angry and stronger, and provides a nice dose of inspiration to create extreme unholy music.
7. The metal scene in Brazil is very interesting, with a lot of very good bands. Please tell us more about this scene.
Yes, I believe there are lots of worthy names here in Brazil, but in the other hand there are a lot of fucking fools who have nothing to do with Black, Death or whatever fucking powerful Metal. Ages ago the Brazilian Scenery was seen as the most extreme on the planet, when bands like Sarcófago, Chakal, Mutilator, Vulcano, Holocausto, Sepultura and all the rest were just destroying everything. During some time it seems that the Scene faded away, due to the vast number of fools who were just playing some child stuff to look "evil" and shit of this nature. Nowadays it seems that things are going to their right place, and there are many bands making a serious work here. To mention a few names, Murder Rape, As the Shadows Fall, Miasthenia, Impurity, Akerbeltz, the fucking nuclear weaponry of Goat Penis, Expulser, Sarcófago and so on.
8. It is my impression that there is a very clear South American brutal metal sound, with bands like Mortem, Posthumous, Sarcófago and Murder Rape among it's most typical exponents. What is your view?
Yes, you are right in your affirmation, because I think South American bands always stated for a much more violent and raw sounding than making something "soft" or full of "coloured" songs, if you know what I mean. We primarily make music portraiting our demonic desires of apocalyptical destruction and utter damnation. All these bands you mentioned are great and make a serious work. There isn't nobody kidding or "playing" of making metal here!! Even in bands fromhere which sound slower, due to musical identification, the intensity is the same and you can note that our aim is just one: total fucking WAR!!!
9. What is your political, religious and philosophical views ?
Generally I don't like to get deep in these themes because they are really my business and do not belong to many people. I think that the most important and expressive views are those which are presented in our lyrics and in the music itself, and to sum it up, it's to proclaim fucking Hell on Earth with our demented art of soul desecration !!!
10. I guess Posthumous is not your day-time job. How is your daily lives ?
No, in fact all of us have some other activities, which is from where we get some extra money which we spend on fucking Metal vynils and CD's and booze. Nothing outstanding, we have our daily jobs just as many people do, but what matters for us is when we get joined to rejoice in blasphemy !!!
11. What is your plans for 1999 ?
Well, as I've above mentioned, we have been working for 3 months now with a new drummer, and in fact there are four new tracks created: "On the Wings of Azazel", "Shub-Niggurath Ye Goat", "Metallic Overture of Aggression" and "Unholy Necrometal Artillery". I can say that they are typical songs we use to compose, but due to our more developed abilities and even the new drummer, the melodic parts of the songs are more melodic, and the violent parts of them are even more violent. We have much ideas and inspirations for many songs yet, and it'll take until the end of this year to compose all of them. We have some gigs to do, but anyway we will concentrate ourselves even more in intensifying our music.
12. Where can Posthumous be contacted? Any web sites ?
Posthumous can be reached by fire, by air, by water or by earth... it's up to you... We have our Official Tombsite, whose profile comprehends complete and updated informations, biography, picture gallery, sound samples, guestbook, links, our personal e-mail addresses and many other interesting things. We have also made available a section in our web called "Fraternitas Profanum", which consists in an interview featuring photos and lyrics with someone we have personal affinity, consideration and respect. All those who want to know more about Posthumous can check it out at
our website and we are ready for your contact, Demonic Metal Legions !!!
13. Any final comments ?
Yes. We have just a few more words to say: thanks for your interest, respect and space on your webzine, and hope you all have conditions of getting "My Eyes, They Bleed" to taste some fucking Brazilian Metal, and maybe some night we will be there in your land to play some demonic tunes and drink some fucking hard booze together with ya' all, but until there... Blasphemy it shall fucking be !!!