Jack The Joker‘s new album The Devil To Pay In The Backlands is out now via Frontiers Music Srl, as is new single and video ‘XV’.
Describing the new track, the band said: “Inspired by the drought of 1915, immortalised by Rachel de Queiroz in her written work, this song turns the harsh and arid landscape into a metaphor of resilience. Amid the hunger and the cracked soil, rises a voice that refuses to say goodbye”.
A modern progressive metal band with a twist, hailing from the Northeast of Brazil. The band consists of Raphael Joer (Vocals) Felipe Faco and Lucas Colares (Guitars), Gustavo Pinheiro (Bass), and Vicente Ferreira (Drums).
The band is notorious for incorporating traditional influences from their local culture, including musical styles such as maracatu, forró, baião and frevo. Their sound draws inspiration from the eponymous renowned Brazilian novel and explores the metaphysical back lands, where human will prevail against the hostility of nature. The instrumental arrangements delineate the environment by fusing regional genres with rock and metal to create a landscape that mirrors the themes in the lyrics.
Of previous single alongside an accompanying lyric video ‘Devir the band said: “’Devir’ is the lament of a man who’s lived the backlands to the bone – where the sun scorches, the earth devours, and there’s no devil but our own choices. A tale of suffering without a villain, where pain is law and faith is just a question carried by the wind”.
Jack The Joker‘s singles before that ‘Between The Sky Lines‘, ‘Denied’ and ‘Sun’, are all also featured on The Devil To Pay In The Backlands album .
Talking about the singles, the band said: “’Between The Sky Lines’ is a gaze beyond the blinding glow of our cities, a song for the forgotten skies observable from the countryside. It’s a reminder of how small we are, in a world that still breathes, suffers, and endures beyond the edge of our comfort.
“’Sun’ refers to the vengeful star that both gives life and takes it away: an allusion to an abusive relationship, in which emotional dependencies are fed by crumbs of affection and countered by emotional abuse.
“’Denied’ brings a rare combination of a melodic prog tune with direct regional music influences to us here in the Northeast, more specifically the Maracatu. The song is a social examination of the inequality of opportunities that plagues our country; the abysmal difference between those who come from different realities”.
The musicality of ‘Denied’ is structured in the rhythmic cells of maracatu, an Afro-Brazilian tradition that carries the marks of struggle and celebration. The pulsating beats breathe life into the song, creating an intense and emotive atmosphere.
You can stream the singles here and check out the videos here at RAMzine.
The Devil To Pay In The Backlands features: ‘Devir’, ‘Between The Sky Lines’, ‘Denied’, ‘XV’, ‘Neblina’, ‘Sun’, ‘You Where I Belong’, ‘Thousand Witnesses’, ‘Cabaret’, ‘Saudade‘ and ‘Hope’ – It can be ordered here.
