Well, this one’s been a long time coming. Back in November 2014, we told you all about Brazil’s Hellbenders, easily one of the finest heavy rock outfits the country has to offer. More importantly, we told you about their sophomore LP, which was recorded at the legendary Rancho De La Luna studio in Joshua Tree, California. You can check out the album’s backstory on that original article (including lots of footage from the recording process); now, the time has come to actually hear some new music from the appropriately-titled Peyote.
Check out the awesome video for Bloodshed Around above, if you haven’t already. From the new songs we’ve already heard the band perform live, we can tell you that this one actually sounds a bit tame in comparison. Expect the rest of Hellbenders’ new LP to drop in June.
Yes, it’s been well over a year since we wrote about Peyote. We spoke to singer / guitarist Diogo Fleury about, well, what the fuck is up with that. Here’s our short interview (right after its accompanying soundtrack):
Is there a release date for the record? Why did it take so long to be completed?
The record comes out in June. What happened is that, when Dave Catching invited us to go [to Rancho De La Luna], we just went. We had gathered X amount of money, and the record ended up being triple that amount. The extra time was necessary to make everything viable – mixing, mastering, pressing, and logistics for the release. Right now, the record’s being pressed, and soon enough we’ll tour it.
Did you have to record anything after your time at Rancho De La Luna?
No. All the recording process was done in the studio, including one track written on site. We had eleven days to record the LP, and ended up taking just eight.
For the uninitiated, can you give a basic explanation of the title, Peyote?
Peyote is a type of cactus native to Texas, with hallucinogenic properties. It’s often used by people visiting Joshua Tree, to expand their consciousness with the unique natural life of the place. Our recording process had a similar goal and trajectory. The album was also born in Texas, through our gig at SXSW, which was attended by Jimmy Ford (a friend and musical cohort of Dave Catching’s). It’s pretty easy to listen and imagine the rest.
