Sarcófago

Sarcófago was an influential Brazilian extreme metal band. They were fronted by Sepultura's original singer, Wagner Lamounier, and Geraldo Minelli.

The front cover of the band's debut album, I.N.R.I., is regarded as a great influence on black metal's corpse paint style make-up. That record is also considered one of the "first wave" albums that helped shape the genre. Their second LP, The Laws of Scourge, was one of the first technical death metal records to be released.

The band broke up in 2000, after releasing the Crust EP. Former members, minus Wagner, played throughout Brazil in 2006 under the moniker Tributo ao Sarcófago (Tribute to Sarcófago). In 2009, rumors surfaced that the original I.N.R.I. line-up were reuniting for a small, high-profile tour, but proved to be a false.

History

Early days (1985–1988)

Sarcófago (Portuguese and Spanish for 'sarcophagus') was formed in 1985 in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Equally indebted to early extreme metal groups such as Bathory, Celtic Frost, Slayer, and Finnish hardcore punk, Sarcófago's goal was to create the most aggressive music ever. Wagner Lamounier, who parted acrimoniously from Sepultura in March of that same year, was invited to join the band. Although Sepultura never recorded anything with Lamounier, he contributed the lyrics to the song "Antichrist" on their Bestial Devastation EP. Sarcófago's vinyl debut was on the Cogumelo Produções split album Warfare Noise I, originally released in 1986. Sarcófago contributed the three tracks "Recrucify", "The Black Vomit" and "Satanas". Their music and lyrics were considered shocking at the time, something which brought them a considerable amount of attention. The band's line-up at that point consisted of "Butcher" (guitars), "Antichrist" (Lamounier; vocals), "Incubus" (Geraldo Minelli; bass) and "Leprous" (Armando Sampaio; drums).