About

Driven by the new wave composed of heavy metal bands that emerged as Enforcer, Skull Fist, Ambush, and inspired by the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, Dantas and Vall Maranhão decided to join together to form a band, in late 2016. Dantas named the band, based on the concepts of horror films from the Slasher subgenre, where the protagonist finds himself cornered at the end and, with nothing else to do, decides to face the killer. Another influence on the name was Stephen King's book “The Thing”, where the clown representing fear always declines against a confrontational stance. Hence, the name Facing Fear came about.
To complete the team, Nathalia Souza was called for bass and Carina Oliveira for vocals. So, on 02/19/2017, they released the single “Enfrentando O Medo” only on YouTube and, soon after, they started a series of concerts on the Rio-São Paulo axis. However, in early April, Carina left the band, shortly before recording the first EP.
The band decided to look for a new singer and, based on the suggestion of an acquaintance, the name Terry Painkiller was considered. From the meeting, they decided that he would be the new vocalist, with the band acquiring another visual identity and greater sound personality. Thus, the recordings of the EP “Lutaremos Pelo Metal” returned to full steam in May of the same year, in the same home studio that recorded the single, under the production of Bruno Gomes.
Despite the numerous difficulties in reconciling regular work with the recording stages, “Lutaremos Pelo Metal” was completed in a short time and released on Streaming platforms on July 26th. Politics, society, legends and personal yearnings permeate the themes of the songs, with Heavy Metal connecting the whole. The varied cadences on the EP already showed what the band could present in the future, displaying resources in fast and slow songs. The physical disc started to be commercialized, totally independent, from the small tour that involved, again, the Rio-São Paulo axis, starting with the opening of the Selvageria concert, in August, a band already consolidated in the scene, in the extinct Miner Rock Bar. A dozen concerts followed in the same year.
The following year, “I Wanna Play The Sound”, the track most loved by the EP's audience, was chosen to have an official music video, released in June. The US Army Of One Television website aired the video for weeks, reaching its top 5 views.
Facing Fear continued with its DIY way and started the processes for the first Full Length, in the second half of 2018. The recordings were made by the band itself, at the house in Vall Maranhão. Luke D. was responsible for mixing the album, entitled “Ana Jansen”. In the meantime, the quartet received an invitation to the Infektor Self Festival #4, in Teresina, Piauí, where the public filled the place. Here's an excerpt from the review: “The intro starts to roll with a mix of “Full Moon” by Demon and the sounds of sirens, the audience's expectation is stamped on the curious eyes about the first song they would play. “Mental Prison” starts the concert with many people singing. All the members were outfitted with an 80's look, like “Terry Painkiller” (vocals) with his leather look and sunglasses. The “frontman” instigates the audience to sing and is promptly attended to. The repertoire was beautiful with songs like “Lycanthropia” and “Until the End”, followed by one of the most sung songs, “I Wanna Play the Sound”, which has already become an anthem…” - Jucie Lord to Roadie Metal.
“Ana Jansen” album featured single releases only on YouTube: “Hell's Killer”, on January 13, 2019, and “Calling Me”, on February 10. On March 17th, a lyric video for “Hell's Killer” made by Brauna Music Productions was released.
The album was released on April 14, 2019, on all streaming platforms. Once again, politics, society, legends, personal yearnings and Heavy Metal are themes of Full-Length, with fiction being an additional ingredient. This time, the Classic Metal Records label was responsible for releasing the physical album, on May 28 of that year, with the promotion of another single 5 days earlier, only on YouTube, of the track “We Are Facing Fear”.
Fast songs, few slow ones, with the linearity inherent to the genre, fill the disc, where the melodic variation of songs become the addendum to an album that received the fascinating art on the cover, by artist Eduardo Untura. “Ana Jansen” was well received by the critics, highlighting the reviews of the biggest magazine in the Brazilian segment, Roadie Crew: “… the carioca quartet makes a heavy metal without frills, well based on the sound of the 80's… de Dantas, main composer and owner of a respectable right hand. His riffs are the highlight alongside Painkiller, from whom one cannot remain indifferent.” - Daniel Dutra; Roadie Crew #254; May-June 2020.
Internationally, “Ana Jansen” was also praised, with emphasis on the Metal-Temple website: “Musically, the band is really close to the right point of maturity. There are 10 very good songs that can really win over fans on the first listen, as can be heard in the brute force of “Hell's Killer” (beautiful guitar riffs and incredible impactful energy), the excellent tempos of “Tragedy/The Lonely Soldier ” (a simple rhythm using solid bass and drum work, but the lovely energy that comes from the riffs is really amazing) and from “Until the End” (very good vocals and backing vocals), the sharp melodies of “Run for My Life ” and “War of Lies”, and the iconic “We Are Facing Fear” are the ones where their musical potential is clear. “Ana Jansen” is a very good album indeed, and FACING FEAR has a lot to say. Listen and check it out!” - Metal Mark Garcia; Metal-Temple, August 9, 2019.
A tour, entitled “Carriage of Hell Tour”, followed, where the quartet continued along the Rio-São Paulo axis, with concerts at Lyria Fest and Guaru Metal Fest.
In search of greater sound amplitude and weight through yet another guitar, the band welcomes John Killesh into its formation, at the beginning of 2020. Thus, the power and performances are enhanced, with Dantas and John in perfect harmony. However, after the second performance with the formation as a quintet, the lockdown, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, makes the band have to aim for other points, in the search to maintain contact with the public. Thus, they release on all platforms the single “Omaira” on March 16, B-side of the album Ana Jansen. Music in honor of the girl Omayra Sanchez Garzón, who died at the age of 13, due to the eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano, which occurred in 1985, in Armero, Tolima, Colombia. They also start a series of videos on their YouTube channel, showing more about each member during that chaotic period.
In June 2020, Nathalia Souza decided to leave the band, following personal projects. Facing Fear even decided to audition for a replacement, however, they didn't come to a conclusion. They remained as a quartet, without a bassist, playing the projects even during the pandemic.
On December 4th, they released the single “Until The End” on all platforms, an acoustic version of the third track from the Ana Jansen album, ending that year of work.
In 2021, the quartet decided to record a new album. Still under the strains of the pandemic and the absence of a bassist, Facing Fear calls Jhoannes Cardoso to produce the band's second Full-Length, at the Dona Jassa studio. The band spent the entire year between recording, mixing and mastering, in addition to several international and national participation in the songs, such as Oskar Jacobson from Ambush and Rod Wolf from Lyria. The bass was in charge of Jëy Douglas.
Even before the year was out, Facing Fear played their first “post-pandemic” concert with a guest bassist, something that would become routine. Thus, they closed the year, with the expectation of what would come in this second album.
In January 2022, they released the official music video for “We Will Arrive”, produced and directed by Nove Frames. The song would be the first track on the album and the video was well praised, both for sound and visual quality. In February, the band delivered another official music video, for the song “I'm Crazy”, also from the upcoming album. The following month began with a concert in the city and soon the Marginal Metal album was released to the public on all streaming platforms, along with an official music video for the title track, on March 15th. Social criticism and personal reflections are themes of the album, which traces a clipping of the members' lives during the moment. Sinuous, heavy songs with strong choruses are a mark of Marginal Metal, which does not limit itself to a standard formula in the construction of songs. The album was mastered by Bene Maldonado and the cover was made by Eduardo Untura.
The international Metal-Temple website, by the hands of Mark Garcia, said: “… After listening to “Metal Marginal”, it is clear that the quartet is on a musical level to become big and leave the limits of the Brazilian Metal scene. ”
Already the website 80 Minutos, by the hands of Diogo Franco, said: “All the riffs on this record are sensational, without deviating from the metal standard and at the same time sounding like pleasant news.”
Facing Fear is about to release the next official music video, only on its YouTube channel.