Wunder gibt es immer wieder: So geschehen Anfang Mai, als wir den OVERDOSE-Bassisten Bernardo Gosaric an den Hörer bekamen, der mit uns das allererste Interview der brasilianischen Metal-Pioniere mit einem deutschen Onlinemagazin führte.
Here in Germany, OVERDOSE will ever be named in combination with SEPULTURA´s “Bestial Devastation”, because you released your album “Século XX” as a split. Can you give a short description about the band history that started 1983 by releasing your first demo?
The band started with Claudio back in 83, was his dream has a guitar since the age of 7. During a rehearsal of his first band (H20), he met Bozó and they started a friendship and with a short time decided to build a heavy metal band. In need of other members Claudio started to search for musicians and there was a heavy metal band called Sagrado Inferno (Holy Hell) with the musicians he was in need. Claudio invited Fernando (Bass) and Dilsinho (Guitar) to his house and presented his music ideas, they enjoyed and accepted join OVERDOSE. Later a friend indicated a drummer, called Rubão and OVERDOSE made it first gig. Rubão and Dilsinho did not stay for long and In 84 were replaced by Hélio on drums and Ricardo on guitar and here is the line-up who recorded “Século XX”. Ricardo left the band after Século XX. The band and the label at that time didn’t reach an agreement about the next release and OVERDOSE ended up releasing “Conscience” independently. After the release of “Conscience” the band parted away with Hélio and was replaced by André. The line-up with Bozó, Claudio, Fernando and André recorded the next 3 albums: “You’re Really Big” (89), “Addicted to Reality” (90) and “Circus Of Death” (92). In 93 Eduardo replaced Fernando as a bassist and the band released “Progress Of Decadence“ and in 1995 “Scars“.
“Século XX” and “Conscience”, your first two albums, have been re-released as very sweet digipacks in Brazil. You also created some new merch. Why did you re-release the old stuff and are there ways to get them here in Europe?
The decision to re-release not only the first albums from the 80’s but the entire discography was a desire from the band and also from fans, since most of them were out of catalogue for years and some were just released on vinyl. There were some talking with the old label who had released the split album with SEPULTURA and the other except “Scars”. They were interested in re-release the albums with an interesting promise which would be the re-release in different formats including vinyl, vinyl picture and conventional cd in addition to the luxury versions in digipack. The new merch were developed by the band only. Bozó and I worked on the two new T-Shirt-models, I’ve designed the first one based on the band albums artwork and Bozó painted the second one based on an ecological problem that happened in our state due to corruption, our idea was to check how would be the response from fans, if would be worthy or not. We want to do more and we are ready for it ! There are chances of them being released in Europe, but we have no certainty about when.
“Scars” was your latest international album in 1995. You can find it together with “Circus Of Death” and “Progress Of Decadence” on Spotify. Are there any plans for a new album right now?
Sure, we recently have the triad published on spotify and on all major streaming services, the other albums will be there too soon for the fans. About a new album, there are some talking going but nothing solid. I particularly would love to see some of Claudio’s amazing ideas out with the actual line-up that has an amazing energy together, Claudio also have many songs from “Scars” era, new ideas and he is really really creative, I love his music. We want to do it, but there’s a lot of things involved specially that we haven’t any support for it, is all on our backs. Many fans are asking for a new album and we frequently hear this question. I must say that this type of feedback is the most important thing to the band right now, for us to see that is worthy put all the effort, time and investment and make it happen.
The band history started over 30 years in 1983. Tell us a little bit about the highlights.
I’m just part of the recent history of OVERDOSE and the best is hear from the OVERDOSE man itself, Claudio. Claudio says: “I highlight at least two very important moments, 85 and 95. In 85, the launch of “Século XX” made OVERDOSE have legions of fans throughout Brazil, starting to play for more than 1000 in the main capitals of the country. Suddenly there were 3,000 people singing our songs!. In 95 OVERDOSE made it first tour in the United States, played on great Metal festivals in Europe and exploded in the American radios. We stayed in the Top 10 for over 6 months at CMJ (College Music Journal). We split the stage with SKID ROW in 1995. We went out in major magazines and became known around the world. We played with bands like MACHINE HEAD, TYPE O NEGATIVE, KORN, BIOHAZARD. In 95 the OVERDOSE went out to the world.
The band played the tent stage at the Dynamo Festival in '95, are there any chances to see you again in Europe?
Would be awesome be back to Europe and also bring OVERDOSEs music to the European stages, if there’s any support that would make it rightfully proper and fair would be something to discuss. But nowadays is something we don’t have, only the wish to make it happen. But no support at the moment.
I read that you played some shows in Brasil. What were the reactions of the fans?
Yeah we did some really awesome shows here in Brasil. The first one and our return to the stages was at a Festival called: Bloco dos Camisa Preta (Black T-Shirts Block), it has this name because it happens during Brazilian carnival and bloco is a reference to the carnival blocks of people that hear carnival shit music hahaha. The idea of the festival producers were to do something for the metalheads, that they could enjoy and have great time during this holiday period and that would not follow the traditional atmosphere and music faced in Brazilian carnival. This was our official return to the stages and we played for more than 10k people this day. We also played on a great festival called Roça ‘N Roll, one of the biggest and oldest metal open air festival that happens in Brazil and also had André Matos (Ex-Angra) on the festival line-up we also played in another open air festival called Camping Rock and in all festivals the reaction of the public, producers and people present were amazing and a huge fuel to us.
But the show in Sao Paulo this year in the summertime was not that easy, was it?
Oh man, i can tell you! Just before our gig the gouvernment decided to rise the fuel taxes. The gas stations were overfilled by people who wanna have their tanks filled with the cheap kerosene. That caused much problems for us and also the fans to get there. For some time it seemed that the show will be cancelled because of the huge traffic problems, because everything was much expensive. Even the train or subway tickets. Also, we had to transport all our gear, that was much money. But at the end, the show was so intense and the fans were great!
SEPULTURA, OVERDOSE, R.D.P. – the big three names of Brazilian Metal have been my favourites for a long time now. But are there any new hot bands from your country? What about the recent metal/hardcore scene in Brazil?
That’s tuff, Brasil is a huge cradle for bands. We actually have some really awesome exponents from different styles. Into thrash/hardcore there’s HELL’S PUNCH from Sergio that is a really killer aggressive band with many interesting songs, they are working on the next album and sounds promising. There’s also VIOLATOR a 80’s thrash style band that really kick ass, they have 2 albums released and several EP’s. I’m not a thrash guy and don’t know much about pure thrash metal but they are really good in what they do, they reminds me Municipal Waste. A band that have been surprising me a lot is NERVOSA, I saw them with their original line-up and still following when possible. Fernanda’s vocals for me is just THE shit, you know? It’s unique. I completely love it and their new line-up is brutal, the girls kick ass. More into Death Metal I must mention COLT..45 a brutal death metal band that released their first album “Extinction” and are working on the next chapter. ZARGOF is a symphonic black metal band I follow since their beginning and this band has grown musically in a real good way releasing their first album “Helios”. There’s ANEUROSE a modern thrash metal band that has released 2 great albums. For those who like the hard rock there’s a really really good band called WISACHE, the guys work really hard and do it in a very professional way creating a really great music for those who enjoy the style. PESTA is a stoner/doom metal band that really kick ass, worthy to check for those who like the style and for those seeking something more brutal and extreme I recommend EXPURGO a killer Brazilian grindcore band and to finish it there’s SACRIFICED a female fronted band with an interesting music that mix elements from many styles and they are working on their new album. There are many many other bands and I’m sorry for not mentioning them all here, those were the ones I remembered at the moment.
Lets talk a little bit about personal life: We just know that you are Bernardo Gosaric and the bass player. Your hometown is Belo Horizonte. What is your profession in your “normal” life? How do you earn your money - what about family? Hobbies? Which football team do you like?
Hahaha ok, right. I’m an IT guy, I work with web development and design. Work with websites, online systems and stuff. Also I do some work with graphic design, digital marketing. it’s what pays my bills. I’m in a relationship, no children, two dogs (a Rottweiler and a Labrador). My hobbies aren’t quite special… I like to listen music (specially bootlegs), play and study bass lines mostly, read books, work at home there’s a lot of trees, fruit trees and stuff… so it took a good amount of time do the gardening hahahha… and also home tasks hahaha, yes those are some hobbies… I do love stay at home. I’m not a football guy hahaha what ?!?!? hahahaha yeah true… I don’t follow football/soccer but my team is Clube Atlético Mineiro, more known as Galo!
During the world cup and the Olympic games there were quite some reports about the problems in Brazil: Corruption, police brutality, homelessness etc. Do you see these things in your daily life?
Unfortunately my friend the good side of the Olympic games in my point of view was exactly this kind of exposure. To show the reality, despite the “Manipulated Reality” based on carnival, nudity, samba and football Brasil exports daily to the world. All sort of visual aggression you mentioned is part of every Brazilian routine, certainly you will see of experience things like this one day being a Brazilian. The country is broken by corruption, we had an ex-president arrested, the actual going under investigation, governors and almost all politicians involved with cases of corruption and I do hope all of them fall as soon as possible, so the Brazilian nation has the chance to see the beauty of it and it’s country free of these parasites. Due to the economic situation, the number of homeless grows in a frightening way, many people are losing their jobs, houses and dignity. It’s hard to find someone close to you that hasn’t lost his job, my father was one of them due to his advanced age and sadly close to his retirement. That’s the hypocrisy we found here in abundance. People being discarded as if they were objects, part of the system right? Unfortunately all of this is a reality my friend.
At the Dynamo Festival mentioned above, I bought a longsleeve from your band. It is still one of my favourites to wear. Here in Germany there is a new book called "life.love.shirts" being released, in which a guy photographed his old metal shirts and created stories about why he loved them. Very cool stuff. What are your favourite shirts and why?
Wow, that’s really an awesome book to read han? I don’t have a favourite shirt, I have a couple saved with some stories. For example: My first BLACK SABBATH one, the “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” -shirt that reminds me the very first rock album I ever heard presented to me by my mother. A MEGADETH’s “Countdown To Extiction”- shirt that has a rip, from a day that I had to jump a wall and a fence hahahah. There are also some shirts from tours I made out Brazil. And the most important ones for me right now are the two new ones from OVERDOSE and I hope there be more!
Bernado, thanks a lot for your work and as always: Last words are yours!
I would like to thank you Benj for the opportunity, you surprised me here. I thought it would be something more based into OVERDOSE history and you brought something interchanging the band history and pieces of my life. Thank you so much for your consideration, time, attention and disposal for it. I really appreciate. All the best to you bro, now and ever.
