FRONTIERS MUSIC Srl SIGN NEW PROJECT FRONTED BY YOUTUBE STAR RAPHAEL MENDES
Frontiers Music Srl is excited to announce the signing of Icon Of Sin, a new project centred around the vocal talent of the popular Brazilian YouTube sensation Raphael Mendes. Two other stellar Brazilian musicians, Sergio Mazul (Semblant) and Marcelo Gelbcke (Landfall), have been assisting Mendes with the songwriting of his upcoming album as well as helming its production, and listeners can expect a full-on traditional heavy metal assault.
Raphael Mendes has become a popular figure on YouTube due to his jaw dropping vocal covers, with recognition as one of the hottest new talents in metal beginning back in 2016 when he was invited by guitarist Fabio Lima to record a video that wound up going viral. Encouraged by the reaction, Mendes launched his own channel to create further videos, and, as more and more fans around the world discovered him, he was invited to join other musical projects that included Marius Danielsen’s ‘Legend Of Valley Doom Part 2’ (also featuring Michael Kiske, Vinny Appice, Mark Boals, Michele Luppi and Diego Valdez).
Mendes’ reputation grew considerably in 2020 when a video series entitled ‘What if Bruce Dickinson sang in other bands’ was launched. Mendes’ own Dickinson-esque singing style saw him cover songs by the likes of Megadeth and these versions quickly spread in the metal community. Collaborative versions are now being made with various emerging rock artists and musicians such as drummer Aquiles Priester (ex-Angra, Primal Fear, W.A.S.P.).
Watch Episode 2 of ‘What if Bruce Dickinson sang in other bands’ below:
Mendes’ videos reached Frontiers, a label known for signing and nurturing many of the most promising new names in rock and metal. The company has already been working with a number of South American artists in recent times and had the idea of pairing Mendes with two outstanding musicians in the Curitiba (southern Brazil) metal scene, both of whom have already unveiled their own music via the label: Sergio Mazul (singer of Semblant) and Marcelo Gelbcke (guitarist of Landfall). Although the music of their respective bands is very different, both have a passion for traditional heavy metal and knew they could craft amazing music for Mendes to put his voice to. Together, the trio have been creating a no-nonsense, straightahead, classic, pure heavy metal album and the material that has already been recorded is breathtaking and will blow away fans of Iron Maiden and classic Dio-era Sabbath.
“Music is my passion, a way of life!” says Mendes. “It has really been and continues to be a fantastic experience working on the Icon Of Sin album. The songs are so powerful and it has awakened something in me that I haven’t felt for a long time from a heavy metal album!”
