"It is a great advantage to have a name like “Dave Ellefson” to give us his full support."

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As the Summer Olympic games of Rio wind down, the taste of things Brazil are still pretty fresh in the minds of most Americans. With this in mind, the thrash metal band from Sao Paolo, Brazil MACHINAGE has emerged to bring more distinct Brazilian flavors to those still enamored in the games. The band has come to the United States in support of their Slave Nation Tour of the soon to be released album of the same name. Signed to the newly formed label EMP, the band is hungry to prove that it deserves to be welcomed into the stages of the world metal community. The band is a three piece consisting of drummer Ricardo Mingote, bass player Adriano Bauer and guitarist and vocalist Fabian Adrian. The music is powerful and engaging. Listening to the new CD Slave Nation, the music will remind you of songs written by an early MEGADETH. This may indeed be one reason why Dave Ellefson himself decided to put the band on his label. As the band made a stop in Houston, I took some time to sit down with the band and find out more as they progressed early into the tour.

KNAC.COM: For those who may have never heard of the band MACHINAGE, tell us a little bit about them and who they are.

ADRIAN: Certainly, MACHINAGE is a band that first formed in 2007 in our small town called Jundiai close to Sao Paolo, Brazil. Since the beginning we have had lineup changes. We have been known as a four piece, but we are now very comfortably touring as a three piece.

KNAC.COM: So what brought you guys together? How did you decide on your style of music?

ADRIAN: Well, I think it is due to our influences. We all listen to the same music and different kinds of thrash and punk. But thrash is what we love best. I think that is why we love to play it so much.

KNAC.COM: In a country as big as Brazil, I am certain it was hard to make a mark as a band. How did you manage to take MACHINAGE and make an impression in South America?

ADRIAN: Yes, Brazil has tons of bands. However the music industry is very weak in my country. So we had to go abroad to make an impact and get some recognition. We love touring so it is easy for us to go outside our country to play our songs. We recently played the Lima MetalFest in Peru. That was so far the best.

KNAC.COM: Can you tell me about some of the other bands in your country that we should be aware of in the States?

BAUER: Man, there are a lot of great bands. Just to name a few, IMMINENT ATTACK, BLACKMING, GODZORDOR, WARSICKNESS.

KNAC.COM: The first CD, It Makes Us Hate, was released on Gear Records. How has that album done so far?

BAUER: The album is doing great. In my country so far we have had to do three pressings of the record. For an underground album we think that is amazing.

KNAC.COM: The new album, Slave Nation, is coming out on EMP Records. Tell us how did this marriage come about?

ADRIAN: It started in February of this year. We had already been recording the CD when we reached out to Ellefson’s partner Thom Hazaert. At first we were only supposed to be in a compilation that EMP is putting together. Fortunately Ellefson and Thom loved the songs on the album so much that they decided to put it out.

BAUER: We at first did not believe. But we went to meet Dave and when we were with him he said, 'so this is the band we are signing'. That is when we started to believe.

ADRIAN: Yes, it is a dream and we hope to not wake up anymore. It is a great feeling.

KNAC.COM: So it seems that the label, and more specifically Dave Ellefson has taken quite an interest in the band. What has his support meant for MACHINAGE?

ADRIAN: His support has been amazing. Lots of doors have opened up for us. We are getting a better view and understanding of the music business because of him. I am certain his time in MEGADETH is why he can be honest and upfront with us to let us know how things work. So, it is a great advantage to have a name like “Dave Ellefson” to give us his full support.

BAUER: Yes, in fact if I were to call him right now he would call us back within minutes. That is the kind of support we have with EMP. And as a band just getting started on the world tours, that means a lot to us.

KNAC.COM: On the first album as well as this one, the music seems to make political statements. The political commentary is woven throughout the lyrics. Are these ideas comments on Brazil or are they comments on governments around the world?

ADRIAN: Well it is a general protest against political issues around the world. Most of course do come from Brazilian problems. But when you talk about war, slavery and other issues, these could be found in many countries around the world. This is what we are talking about as the world seems to be going crazy. The message is indeed about “Slave Nation”.

KNAC.COM: Seeing the band live, it has amazed me how you guys have been able to adapt to life on the road. You are dependent on backlines and support from local bands on the tour for your equipment. Has this affected on how you are able to play the songs from one city to the next?

ADRIAN: That is not a big problem. In Brazil we have terrible gear and we have learned to adapt. Here in the States there is no such bad gear. The local bands have been amazing in their support and allowing us to use their stuff. Really good sports! But we have the most important part of our sound that travels with us, our Randall heads and Washburn guitars and bass.

KNAC.COM: As the tour begins, Slave Nation is to be released in November. What are your plans for the band moving forward?

ADRIAN: We intend to release our next CD with EMP again. We have already started writing new songs. Our plan is to record here in the United States. Max Norman who mixed and mastered Slave Nation also wants to work on the next album. We hope that once the new CD is out we will be able to get on to some festivals and maybe get invited into Europe. We do not want to stop. I think that is why EMP signed us. From the beginning we have been always a hard working band. And I think that is why it has paid off now.