Brazil Oldschool Death/Thrash

Continuing with Extreme-Metal's monthly section for music, here is May's feature:
　ＳＡＲＣＯＦＡＧＯ (Black/Thrash/Death Metal)
Formed in １９８５ in Belo Horizonte, (Minas Gerais), Brazil


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 false. A reissue of their back catalogue is in the works, a joint effort between Cogumelo Records and American label Greydaze.