Interview PHORNAX

After more than a decade away, Brazilian Heavy Metal force PHORNAX returned with Hellforge, a powerful new chapter built on resilience, transformation, melody and the enduring spirit of the underground.

1. PHORNAX was founded in 2009 in Porto Alegre and has now been active for more than fifteen years. Looking back at the band's early years, what do you remember most vividly about the Brazilian Metal scene at that time, and what originally inspired you to create PHORNAX?

When PHORNAX started in 2009, the Brazilian Metal scene was very passionate and strongly connected to live music. There was a real underground spirit. Bands were playing because they truly believed in what they were doing, often with very limited resources.

Our main motivation was simply to create the kind of Heavy Metal we wanted to hear and play. We were strongly influenced by traditional Heavy Metal and Power Metal, but from the beginning we wanted PHORNAX to have its own identity rather than just reproduce the sound of our influences.

Porto Alegre also has a long history with Rock and Metal, so being part of that environment definitely influenced us. PHORNAX was born from friendship, passion for Heavy Metal and the desire to build something that could eventually go beyond our local scene.

2. Your debut EP Silent War was released in 2012 and received recognition from publications such as Roadie Crew and Hell Divine. How do you look back on that release today, and how important was it in establishing PHORNAX within the Brazilian underground?

Silent War represents the first real statement of PHORNAX.

At that moment we were still discovering exactly what the band could become, but the EP already contained many elements that remain part of our identity today: melodic guitars, powerful vocals, traditional Heavy Metal influences and a certain dramatic atmosphere.

The recognition from magazines and specialized media was extremely important because it showed us that the music could reach people outside our immediate circle.

Today, when we listen to that material, we obviously hear a younger band, but we are still proud of it. In many ways, everything happening with PHORNAX today started with Silent War.

3. After a hiatus of more than twelve years, PHORNAX returned with a new lineup while keeping co-founders Cristiano Poschi and Mauricio Dariva at the core of the band. What motivated the decision to bring PHORNAX back, and what did you want this new era to sound and feel like?

The most important reason was that PHORNAX never really disappeared from our lives.

Even during the years when the band wasn't active, there was always the feeling that the story had been interrupted rather than finished.

When Mauricio and I started talking seriously about bringing PHORNAX back, we didn't want to simply recreate the band from 2012. If we were going to return after more than a decade, it had to make sense artistically.

We wanted PHORNAX to sound bigger, heavier, darker and more mature, while preserving the melodic identity of the original band.

That philosophy eventually became Hellforge. It respects where we came from, but it represents who we are today.

4. The band has shared stages with major names such as VIPER and Andre Matos' solo band. How did those experiences influence PHORNAX as musicians, and is there a particular performance or moment from that period that remains especially meaningful to you?

Over the years, PHORNAX has had the privilege of sharing the stage not only with VIPER and Andre Matos' solo band, but also with major international names such as Masterplan, Nazareth and Tim "Ripper" Owens.

For us, especially coming from the Brazilian underground, these experiences were extremely important. Sharing the stage with artists who have built such significant careers gives you a completely different perspective on musicianship, professionalism and live performance.

You observe everything: the preparation, the sound, the stage presence, the relationship with the audience and, above all, the level of commitment behind every performance.

There is also something very special about standing backstage or walking onto the same stage as musicians you grew up listening to. At some point, the people who influenced you to become a musician are suddenly right there, sharing the same night and the same audience with your band.

Those experiences gave us confidence and reinforced something we had always believed: PHORNAX could aim higher and take its music far beyond our local scene.

5. Your first full-length album, Hellforge, was released on July 17, 2026. Why was this the right moment for PHORNAX to finally release its first full album, and what does Hellforge represent for the band personally and artistically?

Because PHORNAX finally became the band we always believed it could be.

Hellforge isn't simply our first full-length album. For us, it represents the rebirth of PHORNAX.

There are more than twelve years separating the first era of the band from this album. During that time, we changed as musicians and, more importantly, as human beings.

We experienced victories, failures, losses, conflicts and situations that inevitably changed the way we see life.

All of that somehow entered this album.

That's why Hellforge feels much more like a statement than simply a collection of songs. It says: PHORNAX is alive again, and this is who we are now.

6. The concept of the forge is central to Hellforge, with adversity, conflict and suffering becoming forces of transformation and strength. How did this concept shape the songwriting and overall atmosphere of the album?

The forge became the perfect metaphor for what we wanted to express.

Metal enters the forge and is exposed to extreme heat, pressure and violence. But instead of being destroyed, it is transformed.

Human beings experience something very similar.

Many songs on Hellforge deal with moments when life puts you under pressure: fear, conflict, memories, loss, uncertainty and the struggle between giving up and moving forward.

So the album isn't really about suffering. It is about what suffering can transform you into.

That idea influenced everything, from the lyrics and arrangements to the heavier guitar sound and the atmosphere of the record.

7. Hellforge combines traditional Heavy Metal and Power Metal with heavier modern elements, melodic guitar work and contemporary production. How did you approach balancing the band's traditional roots with the heavier and more modern direction of this new era?

We never wanted to abandon our roots.

The melodies, harmonized guitars and traditional Heavy Metal structures are still fundamental to PHORNAX. But our musical references have expanded considerably since the first era of the band.

So instead of deliberately trying to sound modern, we simply allowed those newer influences to become part of the music.

The guitars became heavier, some rhythms became more aggressive and the production became much more contemporary, but melody remains at the center of PHORNAX.

Our philosophy is simple: respect the past without becoming trapped by it.

8. Several tracks on Hellforge deal with fear, hope, memories, inner conflict and personal transformation. Was there a particular song that was especially challenging or emotionally significant to write or record?

There are several songs with very personal meanings, and I think different members of the band would probably give different answers.

But Hellforge itself was emotionally challenging because the entire album became connected to this idea of transformation.

Some lyrics may appear to describe external conflicts, but underneath there is often something much more personal happening.

One thing we deliberately avoided was explaining every lyric completely. We prefer leaving enough space for listeners to recognize their own experiences inside the songs.

For us, that is when music becomes truly personal.

9. Silent War was originally released during PHORNAX's first era and has been completely re-recorded for Hellforge. What made you choose this particular song to connect the band's past with its present, and what differences can listeners expect between the two versions?

Because Silent War is probably the strongest bridge between the two eras of PHORNAX.

We didn't want to simply remaster the original recording. We wanted to ask a different question: what would Silent War sound like if PHORNAX had written it today?

The new version has the experience, production and musical personality that the band has developed over the years.

It is heavier, more powerful and more mature, but the essence of the song remains intact.

In that sense, comparing the two versions is almost like looking at photographs of the same person taken fourteen years apart.

The identity is still there. The person has simply lived much more.

10. PHORNAX is also behind Phornax Fest, which has brought together different generations of Brazilian Metal musicians, including Edu Falaschi, Renato Osorio, Thiago Bianchi and other prominent names. What inspired you to create the festival, and what does building a Metal community in Brazil mean to you?

Phornax Fest came from the idea that PHORNAX should be more than just a band.

Brazil has extraordinary musicians, but sometimes our Metal scene becomes fragmented into small circles. We wanted to create an event where musicians from different bands, generations and parts of the scene could share the same stage.

Having musicians such as Edu Falaschi, Renato Osorio, Thiago Bianchi and many others involved reinforces that idea.

For us, strengthening the Brazilian Metal scene means creating connections.

When bands support bands, musicians support musicians and audiences discover artists they didn't know before, everybody benefits.

That is what we want Phornax Fest to represent.

11. In 2026, PHORNAX also participated as a special guest on the All Metal Stars tour celebrating the legacy of Andre Matos. What was it like to be part of such a project, and how important is Andre Matos' legacy to PHORNAX and Brazilian Heavy Metal?

Andre Matos is impossible to separate from the history of Brazilian Heavy Metal.

His work helped demonstrate that a musician from Brazil could create sophisticated Heavy Metal and reach audiences around the world without losing his identity.

For an entire generation of Brazilian musicians, including us, that was incredibly important.

So participating in a project celebrating his legacy carries a special meaning.

It isn't only about nostalgia. It is about recognizing someone whose music opened doors and inspired thousands of musicians to believe that Brazilian Heavy Metal could have international relevance.

Being part of that celebration was both an honor and a responsibility.

12. With Hellforge now marking the beginning of what seems to be the band's most ambitious chapter yet, what are the next goals for PHORNAX? Are you looking toward more international shows, new music, future editions of Phornax Fest, or taking Hellforge to audiences that have never discovered the band before?

All of those things.

Hellforge isn't the destination. It is the starting point of this new phase.

Our immediate goal is to take the album to as many people as possible, especially listeners outside Brazil who are discovering PHORNAX for the first time.

International shows are definitely one of our objectives, and we are already thinking beyond Hellforge in terms of new music.

Phornax Fest will also continue growing because we see it as an important part of what PHORNAX represents today.

After being away for more than twelve years, we don't feel like making up for lost time. We prefer to think that everything happened when it needed to happen.

PHORNAX returned when we finally had something important to say.

And Hellforge is only the beginning.

PHORNAX || Official Website