World Watch: Atomic Freak

Country: Brazil

With members from the rock scene of Brazil and the United States, Atomic Freak know that rock n’ roll doesn’t need to be saved or fixed – just lived loud and proud. The band steeps its sound in the era of big, brash guitar rock, with bands like AC/DC and KISS clearly being channeled in thundering tracks like “Light the Fuse”. That track, the second single from their debut album Nuclear Meltdown, is a guitar-shredding blast, with call-and-response parts that will have rock audiences frothing at the mouth.

The members of the band remain anonymous, with all of their band photos featuring the members wearing gas masks, perhaps a nod to other groups like Slipknot or KISS, who use masks and make-up as part of the theatrics, while also taking attention away from the personalities of the musicians and focused on the music. And with songs like “When All Goes Down”, which could easily be mistaken for a classic AC/DC track, with its hip-swaggering rhythm and raw vocals, the music really does speak for itself.

These songs are all head-bangers, and not afraid of being dirty in sound or lyrics. “Shakin’/Shaken” struts and sulks like early Guns N’ Roses, while “Atomic” dips its toes into power pop with a sugary hook that lights up and explodes on the chorus.

If you’ve been missing classic hard rock, Atomic Freak are what you’ve been looking for. Hear for yourself in our World Watch Playlist!