September 2002, Blacksunrise is born. Created by the Padinha brothers (João Pedro and João Francisco), the first and only remaining original members. Fascinated by the hardcore DIY ideology they grabbed a guitar and drums, invited some friends and started to play aggressive music as a background for some positive and aware lyrical message. The main idea was to mix Heavy Metal with socio-political lyrics. João Padinha, João Pedro, Gazua and Chucky are the line-up behind the first demo Born In The Cradle Of Death. Born In The Cradle Of Death caught everyone off-guard. Nobody was expecting that a bunch of kids (the drummer João Pedro was only 16 at the time) could come up with such a “grown up” and a strong, aware message. Instead of waiting around for a record deal, Blacksunrise wasn’t exactly pleased with all the good criticism, they needed more, and so they immediately started the composition process of a full-length album. With only a year and with no label backup, Blacksunrise showed for the first time the courage and ambition that would become, and still is, one of the band’s characteristics. They entered the studio and recorded eight tracks for the album The Azrael. With a new album under their belts, more mature and aggressive than the first recording; due also to the line-up changes the band went through, Chucky and Gazua left and Samuel filled in the bass, Paulo on vocals and added Carlos Azeitona as the second guitar; the band starts searching for a label to release it. Without any management whatsoever they finally come to terms with the Spanish label Conviction Records. Latter on, The Azrael was going to be released also in Portugal through Rastilho Records. With a new album out, Blacksunrise goes on a never ending marathon of live shows through Portugal and abroad. Played some of the major summer festivals as Super Bock Super Rock and Festival Ilha Do Ermal alongside big names such as Slayer, System Of A Down, Entombed, Morbid Angel or Grave for example. They also played hundreds of small venues and in some cases two shows in the same day. This is when Blacksunrise starts to build the reputation of such a brutal and demolishing band live. A reputation that not even a second line-up change can stop. Due to musical differences and lack of time, Samuel and Paulo leave the band that recruits to replace them Ruben (bass) and Sérgio (vocals). To introduce the new members to their fans and to show all the band’s vitality they enter the studio one more time. This time to record a 2 track EP showing a new, more epic edge to their music, still, without loosing any heaviness. Just when the band is ready to keep up the promotion of The Azrael and this new EP, it has to face more unexpected line-up changes. Ruben and Sérgio never really felt as part of the band so they decide to leave. Steps in Nuno Vicente for bass duties and André Matias to take care of the vocal department. Besides the never ending saga of shows, Blacksunrise try to capitalize on this new, more stable line-up and start the composition process of the new album, which would later be named Engulf The World In Frozen Flames. It was a process that took the band 9 months as they felt the need to introduce every musical influence each member has; from Death to Black Metal, from Sludge/Doom to Thrash Metal and of course Melodic Death Metal – Swedish style. With 13 new songs they enter the studio with producer and friend Miguel Marques (Generator Studios) to record them, with the idea of mixing and master this new album somewhere outside Portugal. That’s when Ricardo Espinha (RedClip Studios), producer and friend of the band, comes into the picture, does a rough mix of one song and presents it to the band. Blowened away by the sound, the band immediately decides to mix and master Engulf The World In Frozen Flames with Ricardo Espinha. Determined to get the best sound possible for these tracks, both band and producer came up with an end result that satisfies Blacksunrise completely. With release date planned for early April through Ragingplanet Records, with a deal with Middlemanrock Management and with a new bass player (after the recording of Engulf The World In Frozen Flames Nuno Vicente quit the band) Fernando Costa, Blacksunrise feels stronger than ever before and ready to take on another never ending saga of live shows.
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Blacksunrise
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