The birth of Crossover happened during the 80s, when some bands left aside the differences between Metal and Hardcore and bind both genres together, showing that they’re two aspects of the same thing. Of course, VOID, THE FAITH, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, S.O.D., RATOS DE PORÃO, D.R.I. weren’t aware of what they were doing, things came to them in an spontaneous and subjective way, and they simply did it! Today, many acts are working on such trench and show excellent releases, as “Agora é a Sua Vez” (it can be translated as ‘Now It’s You Time’), the new album of the quartet TOSCO, from Brazil (based on São Paulo).

Their musical formula can be said as 60% of Thrash Metal elements (especially on the guitar arrangements and some slower tempos) with 40% of Hardcore/Punk Rock influences (as the extreme screamed tunes of the vocals), and some different traits (as the brutal blast beats and double bass parts on the drums during “Mais Uma Vez”) in a form of music that shows its musical influences to the very bones. But such level of brutality doesn’t deny some technical refreshments (the band isn’t using songs with short lengths as usual). But take care of the ears, because “Agora é a Sua Vez” smells like a dirty ghetto, blasting with energy and bleeding with a carnivorous appeal that it’s hard to resist to it without banging heads until extreme pains arise!

Ivan Pellicciotti (who mixed and mastered the album) and Paulo Mariz (the band’s drummer) sign the production, giving the fans an experience of how heavy and aggressive a Crossover album can sound if it is done in a careful way. All the songs can be fully understood, but always with a brutal and distorted way. And the artwork of Jean Michel (of @designationsartwork, and who already did arts for bands as METAL CHURCH, QUEENSRŸCHE and others) is really excellent, with something that reminds old comics. And as guests, the band brought Dave Austin (former guitarist of NASTY SAVAGE) on the second guitar solo of “Hellvetia”, and Sílvio Golfetti (former KORZUS guitarist) on the second guitar solo of “Guerreiros do Metal”.

The name of the quartet on English can be translated as ‘Rough’, and it’s the best way to describe what “Agora é a Sua Vez” stands for on its songs and lyrics, always shooting the despise and rebellion against the system. After a short intro come “Mais Uma Vez”, a fast song with sharp aggressiveness dripping from the harmonies, with intense weight imposed by drums and screamed vocals in a Brazilian HC trend. Following comes “Issaqui Não Tem Jeito”, it a more hardcorized trend due some elements (as the bass guitar parts), with an amazing chorus. “O Brasil é o Crime” is abrasive and nasty, based on slower tempos and intense, depicting the rough lyrics, again with excellent guitar riffs (and solos) and vocals. And “Hellvetia”, the sadness of ‘cracolândias’ (places on greater cities of the country where the poor and vulnerable people is deprived of their dignity, falling on robbery and prostitution to feed their drugs’ addiction) is depicted with a song built under contrasts between faster and slower tempos, with hardcorized vocals and nasty guitar solos.

Some modern refinements appear on “O Monstro”, with slower rhythms filled with groove parts and intense weight, heavily influenced by NWHC on the backing vocals (and a brutal work on bass guitar and drums), and the same happens on “Nada Tá Bom” (besides the boost on the aggressiveness comes from the intense guitars), with lyrics depicting those ‘rebels without cause’ that insist to speak shit about their own families (a feature usual on Brazil). “A Verdade” is based on Thrash Metal guitar parts but filled with the greasy aggressiveness of Hardcore/Crossover, and “Casa de Nóia” is a hardcorized blow in the ears, with that energy that makes heads shake (“nóia” is a typical jargon of São Paulo about drug addicted people, especially for those corroded by the addiction).

“Tropa Z” is another song filled with Hardcore natural nonconformity, with screamed vocals being supported by solid rhythms (the lyrics accuses Putin of his deeds against Ukraine with this fucking war). And “Qualquer Ajuda” lyrics is about those who give a hand to the poor people in need in Brazilian cities (actions of people as Solidariedade Vegan and father Julio Lancellotti are doing on São Paulo’s streets and ghettos), with slow rhythms and nasty guitars being expelled without mercy. And here the band pays homage to the first Thrash Metal act to record songs: “Guerreiros do Metal”, of the Pompéia pioneers of KORZUS, here on a more Crossover format (this song was released on “SP Metal II”, a compilation, on 1985), and what lovely guitars, intense rhythmic session, and excellent vocals, and it shows how this song didn’t lose its beauty.

TOSCO deserves applause, and “Agora é a Sua Vez” puts the quartet as one of the finest Crossover acts of Brazil, and maybe in the world. And you can experience the album here: https://sptfy.com/tosco_agora_e_a_sua_vez