Interview Interrogation: Athos 2 (Brazil)

"Unfortunately, metal is no longer a very listened and appreciated genre in Brazil. Today we face a more restricted scenario for our style."

     Christian rock / metal is often overlooked as a legitimate music genre, despite the fact that music has no lyrical boundaries. Either way there is a thriving scene for religious heavy music and perhaps, arguably there is a sense that religion can be conveyed through music without the feeling of indoctrination or being coerced into following a specific religion or set of beliefs. 

  Therefore it's not surprise to see Brazil having a strong rock and metal scene across the decades, with the belief that the music genres can convey messages of hope and awakening, something that quartet Athos 2 are striving for, they spoke to Global Metal Apocalypse about the power of religion through music, the reasons for choosing a sensitive topic for their lyrics and their recent single 'Refúgio'.

For those who have not heard of Athos 2, please explain how the band was formed and its history.

     "Athos 2 is a Christian alternative rock / metal band formed in January 2018. The band is from Belo Horizonte - MG, Brazil. It was formed by guitarist Raffael Tavares and has released 4 EP's (our fifth EP "About Me" is due out later this year):-

• "Back" 2018
• "New Horizon" 2019
• "Two Faces" 2020
• "Collision" 2021

How did you decide to play Christian alternative metal; evidently Brazil is a heavily Catholic country, so was it natural to include religion in your music?

     "All band members are Christians, and that's our greatest asset. We have Christ as our lord and saviour. With that in mind we decided to follow a line of compositions in the lyrics that talk about what we love most, Jesus Christ.

     The band was created to talk about God and take his word to everyone in the way we love to do it the most, rock / metal."


Do you feel all religions are better expressed through music? How did you get into playing music?

     "We believe that music has the power to express our deepest feelings. Some of our members have had music experience for a long time, and others have always wanted to but not always been able to.

     Despite many ups and downs in the life of a musician, we started with the intention of making a living from music, and we continue that way until today."


You recently released the single 'Refúgio', what is the meaning behind the song and will it be included on a future release?

     "The song "Refuge" talks about a person who feels weak and alone inside. She seeks 'Refuge' in God, who is the one who can embrace her and bring her out of this terrible darkness. Soon we will have more news about this song!"


Gabi, have you received sexist remarks for being a metal musician? What is the general attitude towards females in the Brazilian metal scene?

     "No, whenever anyone knows about my work in the band, I hear a lot of praise for the fact that I'm a woman and I'm representing on the front line of Christian rock / metal".

What challenges do metal bands face in Brazil these days, is metal music still as popular as back in the 1980's?

     "Unfortunately, metal is no longer a very listened and appreciated genre in Brazil. Today we face a more restricted scenario for our style, some bands give up continuing due to this. We know we have barriers to break but we won't give up because we know our purpose is bigger than just making music."


You recently played with Apogeu, Liquens and Antidemon, what was that like - was it a sell-out crowd?

     "This event was just amazing. We have a very special affection for each of these bands that played with us. The structure of the venue and the whole organization of the show was impeccable, the people who were there really supported the bands and really enjoyed the sound. It's always an honour to be with such dear people."


Have you played outside of Brazil before now? Do you have any planned shows for overseas?

     "Yes, we did a tour of Argentina and already performed several shows in Brazil, soon we will be in Mexico for the Exodo Fest event."


What plans do you have for the rest of 2022? Do you have any greetings / thanks that you wish to send out?

     "For 2022 we have more songs to release and clips too. There's still a lot of news coming!
Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this amazing interview! May God bless each of you mightily!"


https://www.facebook.com/Athos2Band