One of the best things about metal in general is how uniquely universal it is. From San Francisco to Hong Kong, Sydney to Anchorage, people all over the world can’t get enough pounding rhythm, heavy riffs, and otherworldly vocals. So when we get a heads up of something metal going on in some remote part of the world, you bet your ass I’m going to want to cover it.
Case and point: heavy metal in the Azores, which are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. Considered an autonomous region of Portugal, this group of nine volcanic islands make up an an insanely gorgeous and remote part of the world.
Earlier today, a group of metalheads from that region calling themselves the Azorean Metal team released a super heavy version of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Featuring 23 different Azorean musicians, the cover spans everything from Azorean hard rock to Azorean death metal and everywhere in between.
I’m also being a little selfish featuring this today, since I have family living out there on those islands. Here’s hoping they see this and decide to check ‘some of these bands out live.
You can check out the full list of musicians after the video, as well as check out their bands’ Facebook pages. These guys can absolutely kick ass, so check ’em out.
VOCALS
Ricardo Santos
MORBID DEATH – AZOREAN METAL – Facebook
Steven Medeiros
BURIED BY LAVA – AZOREAN METAL – Facebook
Hugo Medeiros – The Father
DARK AGE OF RUIN – AZOREAN BLACK METAL – Facebook
Miguel Santos
A DREAM OF POE – AZOREAN DOOM METAL – Facebook
Ana Cláudia
DRVZKA – AZOREAN SYMPHONIC METAL – Facebook
DREAMING IN BLACK – AZOREAN GOTHIC METAL – Facebook
António Neves
IN PECCATVM – AZOREAN GOTHIC/DOOM METAL – Facebook
SPANK LORD – AZOREAN HARD ROCK – Facebook
Ricardo Reis
CROSSFAITH – AZOREAN HARD ROCK
Luís Franco
DRAKH – AZOREAN DEATH METAL – Facebook
CARNIFICATION – AZOREAN DEATH METAL – Facebook
Hugo Fernandes
XXI REVOLUTION – AZOREAN METAL – Facebook
Mariana Pinheiro
FINDING SANITY – AZOREAN MELODIC METAL – Facebook
GUITARS
Freddy Duarte
EX- PALHA D’AÇO – AZOREAN PUNK ROCK – Facebook
Rui Zim
EX – MORBID DEATH – AZOREAN METAL – Facebook
Hugo Medeiros – The Son
DARK AGE OF RUIN – AZOREAN BLACK METAL – Facebook
António Neves
IN PECCATVM – AZOREAN GOTHIC/DOOM METAL – Facebook
SPANK LORD – AZOREAN HARD ROCK – Facebook
António Oliveira
DREAMING IN BLACK – AZOREAN GOTHIC METAL – Facebook
Ruben Correia
OBSCENUS – AZOREAN GOTHIC/DOOM METAL – Facebook
Nelson Félix
AFTER THE RAIN – AZOREAN METAL
João Raposo
SANCTUS NOSFERATU – AZOREAN BLACKENED DEATH METAL – Facebook
CARNIFICATION – AZOREAN DEATH METAL – Facebook
Nuno Pires
VENÊN – AZOREAN METAL –Facebook
BASS GUITAR & KEYBOARD
Stepan Kobyakin
IN PECCATVM – AZOREAN GOTHIC/DOOM METAL – Facebook
FINDING SANITY – AZOREAN MELODIC METAL – Facebook
ALQUIMIA – AZOREAN ROCK – Facebook
OTHER KEYBOARDS
Rui Arruda de Melo
LUCIFERIAN DEMENTIA – AZOREAN BLACK METAL
FALLS OF DESPAIR – AZOREAN GOTHIC METAL
DRUMS
Gualter Couto
TORN FABRIKS – THRASH METAL – Facebook
FLIGHT OF EDEN – PROGRESSIVE METAL