Anarkophobia
Ratos de Porão
1990
Rankings
Why This Album Matters
Anarkophobia, released in 1990, is a fundamental landmark in Ratos de Porão's discography and one of the most revered albums in Brazilian heavy music. It represents a high point in the band's trajectory, solidifying their characteristic sound that blends punk, hardcore, and thrash metal in a visceral and direct manner, in what became known as crossover. This work demonstrated a band at the peak of its aggression and experience, celebrating a decade on the road with a remarkably heavy and forceful production. The album stands out for its raw energy and the ability of João Gordo, Jão, Jabá, and Spaghetti to deliver a sound that impressed with its power and the complexity of its arrangements. The record masterfully captured the fury the band already demonstrated live, elevating the sound quality to a new level for the group and for the genre in Brazil.
Context
The release of Anarkophobia, between 1990 and 1991, occurred during a period in Brazil when rhythms like Acid House, Lambada, and Axé dominated the airwaves, with Ratos de Porão positioning themselves against the musical trends of the time. This album followed the success of Brasil (1989), with the band having already consolidated its presence on tours throughout Brazil and Europe. Anarkophobia also marked the last studio work with the classic and widely acclaimed line-up of João Gordo on vocals, Jão on guitar, Jabá on bass, and Spaghetti on drums, bringing an important era in the group's career to a close.
Recording
Anarkophobia was recorded at the renowned Music Lab Studio in Berlin, Germany, a location that had previously hosted the band's earlier works. Production was handled by Harris Johns, a name known for his expertise in European metal, having worked with groups like Helloween and Kreator, and who had previously collaborated with Ratos de Porão on the preceding album, Brasil. João Gordo even stated that, in terms of production, Anarkophobia was the band's best record up to that point, emphasising that "it wasn't done on the fly and is slower and heavier than the others". Harris Johns' great merit was his ability to capture the intensity and atmosphere of the band's live shows in the studio, resulting in an album that preserved the live impact. The record was released in two versions, one in Portuguese and one in English, aiming for greater international projection and understanding.
Songs
Musically, Anarkophobia consolidated Ratos de Porão's inclination towards crossover thrash and thrash metal, with longer and more elaborate songs, while retaining their characteristic speed and brutality. The lyrics, penned by João Gordo, are one of the album's pillars, with a sharp and explicit socio-political tone. They forcefully address themes such as corruption, hunger, war, violence, social inequality, prejudice, and destitution, remaining, unfortunately, extremely relevant even decades after its release. Tracks like "Contando os Mortos", "Morte ao Rei", "Sofrer", "Ascenção e Queda", "Mad Society", "Ódio", and the title track "Anarkophobia" are examples of the album's lyrical and instrumental ferocity. The song "Igreja Universal" stands out as a classic for its acidic and direct critique of the religious institution. The album also includes a cover version of "Commando" by the Ramones, which serves as a reminder of the band's punk roots and adds a touch of comic relief to a predominantly furious record.
Legacy
Anarkophobia was a watershed moment in Ratos de Porão's career, propelling the band into the global media spotlight and increasing interest from record labels and the European public. The album was a sales success and generated great expectations at the time of its release. It significantly expanded the band's fanbase, attracting heavy metal and thrash listeners, in addition to their traditional hardcore and punk audience, although the distancing from their initial punk sound drew some criticism from more orthodox fans. Recognised as one of the greatest classics of national heavy music, Anarkophobia solidified Ratos de Porão's name among the most influential bands of its generation. The relevance of its lyrics, which address social, political, and economic issues, remains undeniable and frighteningly current thirty years after its release. The album was re-released in digipack format in 2012, including bonus tracks, such as a cover of Mutantes' "Jardim Elétrico".
Tracks
Credits
Antonio Duncan
Harris Johns
João Gordo
Ratos De Porão
João Gordo
Jabá
Spaghetti
Jão
Angelo Plate
Marcatti
Podcasts
Daniel Iasbeck Podcast · Daniel Iasbeck
Bem-vindos ao Daniel Iasbeck Podcast! Pra comemorar os 30 anos do lançamento desse importante disco do Ratos de Porão, chamei o próprio guitarrista e fundador da banda pra batermos um papo sobre a banda e dissecarmos as músicas do álbum Conheça meu curso gratuito de gravação com o Logic: http://bit.ly/curso_gravando_logic Conheça e siga o meu trabalho musical no Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/a
Analyses
Anarkophobia – Wikipedia
Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
Anarkophobia is the fifth studio album by the Brazilian band, Ratos de Porão, simply known as RxDxPx. Although a hardcore punk band in its early days, since the previous album RDP had been adding new influences, and Anarkophobia falls much more into the crossover thrash genre. It was released in 1991 by Roadrunner Records and follows the band's breakthrough record from 1989, Brasil. Like its predecessor, it was recorded in Berlin, Germany, and was produced by Harris Johns. == Overview == Musi
Ratos de Porão - Anarkophobia - Reviews - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The ...
metal-archives.com
The tape was in good shape. I had wanted to watch a show from their thrashiest era, around 1990, when their two thrashiest records, Brasil and Anarkophobia, were released, since this tape was released in Brazil in 1991.
Ratos de Porão: Anarkophobia é um ponto alto da carreira
whiplash.net
Originally released in 1990, RATOS's fifth album consolidates the band's trend towards thrash metal/crossover, but keeps its punk and hardcore roots still present, although...
Ratos de Porão | Anarkophobia (1991)
vinexcollector.blogspot.com
Returning to my initial introduction, I used the last weekend to revisit R.D.P.'s discography, paying special attention to my favourite album by the band, the incredible and unsurpassable "Anarkophobia".
Ratos de Porão - Anarkophobia - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives
metal-archives.com
Anarkophobia Ratos de Porão Type: Video Release date: 1991 Catalog ID: N/A Label: Ataque Frontal Format: VHS Reviews: 1 review (avg. 100%) Songs Line-up Reviews Additional notes
Discogs
Anarkophobia – Discogs
discogs.com