Veko is a more mature and coherent work, both musically and lyrically, where the group shows its intimacy with the style of music and virtuosity of their compositions.

The traditional mix of Folk and Power Metal with classical music is richer and heavier in their new release Veko. The social critiques that were presented in the previous album are now reaching a new level, reflecting on the traditions of indigenous peoples and the role their militants play in the survival of their culture amid technological progress and the invasion of their territory.

In this new work (Veko), the band delves into this chaotic scenario where Brazil is the result of the invasion which began in 1500 and which destroyed the land and reduced the original populations of the Land of the Palms (Pindorama – from the Tupi language, the first name of Brazil).

“Kial ne?” reflects the biased view we have of indigenous peoples, and the judgment we make when we see that these people also enjoy the technology and services offered by the capitalist system, and makes us think about what unites people and creates culture. According to guitarist and singer Rafael Milhomem: “... the identification of an individual with his culture goes beyond cooking or clothing habits, it is in his history, in what is handed down by his family, in his choices. If I eat sushi, for example, I don’t become Japanese. It is not because a person is born in an indigenous village that he does not have the same rights as others; not because he uses a cell phone that he stops being a native, do you understand? ”

“Hejmo” is a reinterpretation of the work of the poet Marjorie Boulton, and Milhomem considers the destruction that war can cause, not only in matter, but also in the lost lives, in interrupted dreams, and in all the stupidity that people are able to keep for a little more profit.

There is a popular saying that in Brazil everyone has indigenous blood, some in their veins, others on their hands. “Hibrida batalanto” is about a young man who hears the ancestral call of his people when he hears the song “Praula Forto”, and discovers that his blood is half indigenous and half white. This discovery leads him to reflect on the country in which we live, and to choose to fight for the rights of the underprivileged.

“Pindoramo estis invadita” was inspired by the documentary Guerras do Brasil.DOC. In the words of guitarist and singer Muniz: “When I heard Ailton Krenak report on the oldest war in Brazil, I understood how our system deceives us and creates a sense that Brazil was colonized and not stolen from the original peoples. All the blood that has been shed on this earth stains our history, our past; we cannot live in harmony with the earth, with other living things, much less with other people. All this makes me very sad. But the original peoples are still resisting, and this war is still far from over, we still have a chance to do something else.”

BaRok-Projekto on this album is:
Muniz: vocals, tenor, electric guitar, bass guitar, programed drum, programed orchestra.
Rafael Milhomem: guttural vocals, bass, electric guitar, programed orchestra, programed drum.

Mixing: Muniz
Mastering: Triboulet (Studio de la Trappe) in Donneville, France

Production: Milhomem and Muniz
Text reviewer: Rikardo Cash
Cover image: Carlos Fides (Artside Digital Studio)