Brutal Africa - The Heavy Metal Cowboys of Botswana
Various Artists Brutal Africa: The Heavy Metal Cowboys of Botswana
14 €
incl. 24% VAT> 25 in stock
Jewelcase CD edition
Svart Records, together with the makers of the documentary Freedom in the Dark, proudly bring African Metal to the west!
Botswana in Southern Africa is a country roughly the size of France, with Kalahari Desert taking up half of its surface area. The country is perhaps more famous for Bushmen or the diamonds found there in the 1960s than its music. It might be hard to believe that the country has a very lively and unique rock scene. Rock culture in Botswana is distinctive in many ways; the passion for playing music is more important than unnecessary technical prowess. The rockers also dress in very imaginative ways, and their clothing ranges from metal uniforms, leather and rivet wings to different kinds of masks. These aspects together make the scene in Botswana one of the most interesting in the world today.
Rock’n’roll arrived in Botswana between the late 60s and early 70s. The Okavango Delta located in the northeast of the country is one of the world’s most diverse safari areas with rich flora and fauna that attracted adventurous Westerners to Botswana. When visiting, Western tourists brought music with them and what would happen next was irreversible. The locals also adopted other aspects of rock culture when Western tourists brought them band t-shirts and leather jackets as souvenirs. Soon Botswana, and especially the town of Maun located at the river delta, was full of tough looking – and tough playing – rockers.
In the early 70s a band called Nosey Road was formed. They were the first band in Botswana to compose original material. Founded by the Sbrana brothers, who had originally arrived in Botswana from Italy, the band mostly played fairly light hard rock. For a long time Nosey Road was the only rock band in the country and it took about 20 years before the second one was formed in the early 90s; Metal Orizon. Metal Orizon combined local rhythms and folk singing with growling and electric guitar. These two bands are cited as the biggest influences by virtually every local rocker, to the extent that they are referred to as ”the grandfathers of rock”.
The arrival of the television in 2000 along with the spread of Internet marked a more active era in Botswana rock’n’roll. Wrust, the country’s first death metal band, was formed then. The band also played abroad and shared the stage with e.g. Sepultura and Carcass on their South African tours. Wrust’s heavier approach inspired many young metalheads, and as a result, many new bands were formed; e.g. Stane (2005), Crackdust (2006), PMMA (2008), and Overthrust (2008).
Overthrust describes its music as ”old school death metal” and it is one of the most noted metal bands in the current Botswana scene. In addition to countless local shows, the band has also played the Wacken festival in Germany in 2016 and have toured Europe a few times. They also host Botswana’s largest metal festival ”Overthrust Winter Metal Mania” which gathers funds for orphan children.
The songs on this compilation were gathered during the making of the documentary film Freedom in the Dark between 2014 and 2017. As of writing this in 2018 there is roughly ten active bands in Botswana and more or less same number of bands that have called it quits. Due to the fact that it has been and still is difficult to record music, especially rock, in Botswana, many bands haven’t been able to record their music at all. This compilation has been culled from what has been possible to produce on record.
Crackdust: Deranged Psychopath
Crackdust: Desecrate
Metal Orizon: Ungazetted…
Metal Orizon: We’re rolling
Overthrust: Psychosomatic
Overthrust: Slay the spectator
PMMA: Imprisoned to death
Stane: Dictator
Stane: Run For Your Life
Wrust: God of the Insane
Wrust: The Day of the Sacrifice
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Various Artists Brutal Africa: The Heavy Metal Cowboys of Botswana
20 €
incl. 24% VAT> 25 in stock
Limited vinyl edition.
Svart Records, together with the makers of the documentary Freedom in the Dark, proudly bring African Metal to the west!
Botswana in Southern Africa is a country roughly the size of France, with Kalahari Desert taking up half of its surface area. The country is perhaps more famous for Bushmen or the diamonds found there in the 1960s than its music. It might be hard to believe that the country has a very lively and unique rock scene. Rock culture in Botswana is distinctive in many ways; the passion for playing music is more important than unnecessary technical prowess. The rockers also dress in very imaginative ways, and their clothing ranges from metal uniforms, leather and rivet wings to different kinds of masks. These aspects together make the scene in Botswana one of the most interesting in the world today.
Rock’n’roll arrived in Botswana between the late 60s and early 70s. The Okavango Delta located in the northeast of the country is one of the world’s most diverse safari areas with rich flora and fauna that attracted adventurous Westerners to Botswana. When visiting, Western tourists brought music with them and what would happen next was irreversible. The locals also adopted other aspects of rock culture when Western tourists brought them band t-shirts and leather jackets as souvenirs. Soon Botswana, and especially the town of Maun located at the river delta, was full of tough looking – and tough playing – rockers.
In the early 70s a band called Nosey Road was formed. They were the first band in Botswana to compose original material. Founded by the Sbrana brothers, who had originally arrived in Botswana from Italy, the band mostly played fairly light hard rock. For a long time Nosey Road was the only rock band in the country and it took about 20 years before the second one was formed in the early 90s; Metal Orizon. Metal Orizon combined local rhythms and folk singing with growling and electric guitar. These two bands are cited as the biggest influences by virtually every local rocker, to the extent that they are referred to as ”the grandfathers of rock”.
The arrival of the television in 2000 along with the spread of Internet marked a more active era in Botswana rock’n’roll. Wrust, the country’s first death metal band, was formed then. The band also played abroad and shared the stage with e.g. Sepultura and Carcass on their South African tours. Wrust’s heavier approach inspired many young metalheads, and as a result, many new bands were formed; e.g. Stane (2005), Crackdust (2006), PMMA (2008), and Overthrust (2008).
Overthrust describes its music as ”old school death metal” and it is one of the most noted metal bands in the current Botswana scene. In addition to countless local shows, the band has also played the Wacken festival in Germany in 2016 and have toured Europe a few times. They also host Botswana’s largest metal festival ”Overthrust Winter Metal Mania” which gathers funds for orphan children.
The songs on this compilation were gathered during the making of the documentary film Freedom in the Dark between 2014 and 2017. As of writing this in 2018 there is roughly ten active bands in Botswana and more or less same number of bands that have called it quits. Due to the fact that it has been and still is difficult to record music, especially rock, in Botswana, many bands haven’t been able to record their music at all. This compilation has been culled from what has been possible to produce on record.
Crackdust: Deranged Psychopath
Crackdust: Desecrate
Metal Orizon: Ungazetted…
Metal Orizon: We’re rolling
Overthrust: Psychosomatic
Overthrust: Slay the spectator
PMMA: Imprisoned to death
Stane: Dictator
Stane: Run For Your Life
Wrust: God of the Insane
Wrust: The Day of the Sacrifice
Various Artists products
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Various Artists Mogadisco – Dancing Mogadishu (Somalia 1972-1991)
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Various Artists Pop Makossa – The Invasive Dance Beat of Cameroon 1976-1984
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Various Artists Senegal 70 – Sonic Gems & Previously Unreleased Recordings from the 70s
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Various Artists Angola Soundtrack – The Unique Sound Of Luanda 1968-1976
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Various Artists African Scream Contest vol.2
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Various Artists Estamos En La Sima (1989)
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Various Artists Jobcentre Rejects Vol 4 – Ultra Rare FWOSHM 1978-1983
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Various Artists Jobcentre Rejects Vol 3 – Ultra Rare NWOBHM 1978-1983
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Various Artists Punk elää vol 2: Systeemissäkö vika?! – Finnish Private Press Punk Rock 1980
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Various Artists Think About Music – Musik von Harmönia 2006-2014
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Various Artists NAUHAT – Suomiräpin Underground 1988-1996
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Various Artists Pölyä – Experimental New Wave and Art Punk from Finland 1979-1984
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Various Artists Long Live the Past – The Demo Collection
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Various Artists Mister Mambo, Mambo Miss – Suomalaisia sambahittejä ja latinoiskelmiä 1935-1959
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Edward Vesala / Jarmo Sermilä / Teppo Hauta-Aho / Antero Honkanen / Mikael Helasvuo, Various Artists Ode To Marilyn
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Various Artists Dance For Your Life – Rare Finnish Funk & Disco 1976-1986
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Various Artists Dance For Your Life – Rare Finnish Funk & Disco 1976-1986
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Various Artists Unohdetaan jo se taivas
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Various Artists Satan In Love – Rare Finnish Synth-Pop & Disco 1979–1992
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Sold OutCD -
Various Artists S.P. Metal I
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Various Artists S.P. Metal I
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Various Artists S.P. Metal II
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