Before Crush (Angola)

I'm continuing my mission of introducing you all to metal out of Africa. Based in the Benguela Province of Angola, Before Crush started out as an alternative punk band called Nightmare Today, incorporating themes of personal struggle and warfare, but also of personal empowerment into their music. Over time, the style evolved to the metalcore of Before Crush. The band features Ary and Costinha Cassoma on guitars, Daniel da Silva Portela on drums, Wilson Alexandre Portela on bass guitar and Ladino Cumpanhe on vocals. The band released an independent EP entitled Idolos Ancorados in 2010. They sing in Portuguese and English.

Here's Before Crush with 'A Bruxa'



And 'A Grand Conquista'...

Wrust (Botswana)

Wrust are based in Gaberone, Botswana and play death metal. Active from 2000, they have three releases - An demo called 'Mirth of Sorrow' (2003), a full-length album called 'Soulless machine' (2007), which was recorded in 2006 in South Africa and an EP called 'Too Deep' (2011). Wrust has shared the stage with acts like Sepultura, Entombed, Carcass and Conquest for Death. The band features Stux Daemon on guitar and vocals and Dem Lord Master on drums. Wrust are currently in the studio, recording a new album which may be released around April 2013. If you want to check out what to expect from this brand of African heavy metal, here's the video of 'Why me?' from their 2007 release.



An audio only version of 'The Renegade'...

And a live performance of 'Cleansing Ritual'...

Finally, I've also tracked down an online interview with Wrust mainman Stux Daemon.

Introduction - What this blog is about

Hi, my name is Carine and I live in Cape Town. I've always loved metal, but I've only recently realized how many heavy metal bands there are across the African continent, many of them virtually unknown outside their native country, since Africa is primarily associated with other genres of music. So here's my mission. I plan to provide a window, for metal, as it is played in Africa. No critical reviews or indepth analysis. Just a bit of added visibility. By way of introduction to the metal scene in Africa, here's a Dutch video clip, with English subtitles, featuring two of Gaberone's 'metal cowboys'. In the next blogpost, I plan to feature a death metal band from Gaberone, Botswana.