Overdrive Saravá

Overdrive Saravá formed in Brasília in the late 1990s, with Paulo César de Jesus on vocals, André Gordilho on guitar, and Marcelo Leichsenring on bass. They came up through the city's underground scene, drawing from heavy metal and African spirituality. Their early shows didn't fit neatly into what was popular at the time, and their lyrics about darker themes kept them on the margins for a while.

In 2003, they put out the album '666 Noite,' which included the title track that became something of a cult favorite. That song, along with others like 'Atabaques e D'jembes' and 'Guerreiro do Cerrado,' mixed metal with Brazilian folk and Afro-Brazilian rhythms. The band's interest in occult imagery and cryptic writing led to speculation about their beliefs, though they never really clarified things one way or another.

They kept recording after that, with albums like 'Sangue e Alma' in 2007 and 'O Livro do Apocalipse' in 2011. Their sound stayed heavy but kept those regional touches, like on 'Mandacaru.' They were always more of a cult act than a mainstream one, partly by design and partly because their themes made some listeners uncomfortable.