Cobalto is a 4-piece punishing metal device coming from Salvador, Brazil. The band started out on 1999 and quickly built a loyal fan base within their hometown. At that time, Jan (vocals), Daniel Dattoli (guitars and vocals) and Chris Gomes (bass) were playing their asses through the local indie metal circuit, always accompanied by a different drummer. Cobalto released 2 demos and their second effort, “Mindiversityâ€, brought them more cohesiveness and aggression than ever because for the first time they had a permanent drummer and took a chance nationwide. They got to tour the country and play with bands such as Shaaman, Necromancia, Torture Squad, The Haggard, Ratos de Porão, Rodox and Claustrofobia, to name a few. Drummer Jera Cravo left the fold to pursue other musical goals and Louis (ex-Drearylands and ex-Mystifier), known for his virtuosity and abrasive drumming, joined Cobalto. The band continued promoting their latest outfit and finally entered the studio to record their debut album. “Elemental†was produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by engineer Jera Cravo (Blaze Bayley, Virgil Donatti, Tribal Tech, Diesel Machine, Malefactor) and is a brutal 12-song CD. The record was released through Brazilian indie label Atalho Discos on mid-2005 and was definitely the band’s breakthrough. Because of all the buzz and excellent reviews worldwide, Cobalto got to tour Europe for almost a year, playing in countries such as Finland, Germany, Belgium and Czech Republic, and got “Elemental†released on Europe by Finnish label Dethrone Music. These accomplishments also include a slot on 2006’s DÃky “Masters Of Rock†Festival, playing for around 25,000 Czech metalheads and along bands such as Whitesnake, Kreator, Apocalyptica, Master Plan and The Gathering, to name a few. After coming back to Brazil for vacation and to begin writing songs for the new album, Jan announced he was leaving the band. Everyone was quite shocked but after talking and cooling down, it was obvious the decision was totally personal so the process was very amicable. On to songwriting and singer auditioning... A couple of months writing the new album and trying out a few vocalists, Cobalto stumbled upon Viktor Lemoz, a gifted local metal singer who never quite had the chance of fronting a pro band. Exactly 4 practices later the band set on to record their sophomore album, “Metamorphicâ€. Under the same production/engineering, Jera Cravo, yet signed to a new label, Torto Fono Gramas, Cobalto wrapped up recordings in a month. “Metamorphic†will be released in Brazil via Torto Fono Gramas this September, and showcases Cobalto at its best, melding their signature songwriting and delivery – sheer aggression, intricate guitar playing and drumming, sudden tempo changes, larger-than-life solos – to singing versatility, brought to the table by new singer Viktor. The album’s release will be accompanied by a national tour and a possible US tour early 2008. Keep checking back for more very soon!
NO BULLSHIT, JUST METAL!
Cobalto (Masters of Rock 2006)
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