Brazil's Landfall released their debut album, The Turning Point, on September 4 via Frontiers Music Srl. Metal Express Radio spoke in the week prior to the release of the album with guitarist Marcelo Gelbcke, drummer Felipe Souzza, and vocalist Gui Oliver about how the band came to be, the recording, and composition processes behind the album, and their plans after the release. 

MER: We know at least three of you are huge Dream Theater fans with your previous prog band, Wild Child. Can you tell us a little bit about the transition from Wild Child to Landfall and working with Gui?

Marcelo: "I think Wild Child was a more experimental thing. We were very young and tried a lot of different things. The main difference is our age, we’re older and hopefully smarter. With Gui, we’re doing a more focused thing. We also have more experience with recording, producing; I have been doing this for 10 years now, so it’s almost like we are getting better and better because we are actually living it!"

Felipe: "As Marcelo said, two of the albums we have with Wild Child were done in Marcelo’s studio, so we’re getting the experience and the way of doing things. Hopefully, we’re getting better each day."

Marcelo: "And now we have a very strong songwriter in Gui, and he has this power with writing melodies that we didn’t have in the past. It’s kinda new and very good to have him on board, and the 4 of us always working together. It’s different chemistry, better chemistry."

Gui: "I remember the first time I saw the guys when they were playing in a dingy basement.  When I saw them, I knew they were awesome. They were awesome musicians. The first guy I played with was Thiago in a Cover Band I was in. When the 2 other guys in the band left, I asked Marcelo and Felipe to join, and we did 1 concert together."

Marcelo: "And the setlist was amazing! It was like 30 songs, but not only hits, songs we liked from Mr. Big, Winger, Whitesnake, but we only played 1 gig."

MER: Gui, people say your voice sounds like Journey’s Steve Perry’s voice. What is your main influence as a singer?

Gui: "Oh man… what to say. I’m a huge Steve Perry fan, I can’t deny that. When I started I played in cover bands and we played a lot of Journey songs. He’s a legend, and I try to do my best. For me, it’s a great feeling when people say 'sometimes you sound like Steve Perry.' I think our voices are a little bit different. It’s hard to be compared with the king so… (laughs). I think the way we construct melodies is similar. I used to listen to him a lot, and I don’t try to sound like him or Journey, but it just happens sometimes. His voice is something unbelievable, you know, I’m a huge fan."

Marcelo: "I think Gui sounds like Gui."

Gui: "It’s big shoes to fill, but it’s an honor, a huge compliment. It’s great, he’s amazing."