That would also be the case of Bizarra Locomotiva, who by winning the contest had a chance to participate in the appraised French festival Printemps de Bourges, in which they returned in 1994. Miguel Fonseca (guitars, ex-Thormentor, ex-Braindead, later also on Mofo) came to create a stronger line-up, contributing decisively to the growth of the band.
The year of 1994 would reveal itself as a good year in albums: in April the band released its self-titled first album, followed in November by "First Crime, Then Live" which was organized in two parts, one recorded in studio and sung in English (their only songs in English language so far), and other recorded live from France sung entirely in Portuguese.
After participating in the 7th Bi-annual Contest of Young Creators of Mediterranean Europe, Bizarra Locomotiva embarked in a well succeeded national tour. Their highest moment on stage was, however, in August of 1997, year where they performed in Sudoeste Festival, in promotion of the EP Fear Now, next to bands like Marilyn Manson.
"Bestiário" (translated: Bestiary), from 1998, constitutes the paradigm-album of the band. Relying on the concept of the "Man-Beast and the Beast-Man", through which they recreate mythological figures that metaphorically portray the Man, the record brings forward an even ampler musical sound, with new ambiance and sonorities. Their aesthetic side assumes, in the same way, a higher importance: the lyrical and musical concept is transposed to the stage, in which Rui Sidónio steps out of a cocoon in each show's opening, symbolizing the birth of the Beast.
In 2002 they return with "Homem-Máquina" (translated: Machine-Man), a new conceptual CD that, in a way, continues the idea of the previous one. Humanity once more is object of fierce critique, because although they have created the machines, they consider them guilty for all the wrong things in the world. The border between Man and Machine starts to fade. The Machine humanizes itself, the Man becomes a Machine. In par with the album, a new, elaborated aesthetic concept is created and brought to live shows, this time with suits worn by the band to symbolize the Machine Man.
With the year of 2004 reaching an end, Bizarra Locomotiva reaches another station, returning to a more raw and aggressive sound that had been intentionally neglected in the previous record, assuming that way an end in a cycle of thematic albums.
In this new train stop, the screams returned almost in omnipresence.
"Ódio" (translated: Hate), the first work recorded by the current line-up that had already been promoting their previous effort, "Homem-Máquina" and where the part of musical composer and producer passes to the hands of Miguel Fonseca, and the lyrical content to the subconscious of Rui Sidónio, the result is to be loved and/or hated.
With 15 years of existence, this project has an impressive career in the Portuguese musical panorama, with 9 edited records and a platinum album awarded with the participation on the tribute album to the (also Portuguese) band Xutos e Pontapés with the cover "Se me amas".
The performance of the band in the 2006's Super Bock Super Rock festival next to bands like Korn and Soulfly was one of the band's highest points, leaving everyone stunned with the power of Bizarra Locomotiva, proving that they are the highest point of Portuguese industrial music and leaving their mark on whoever watches their shows.
Leading the locomotive is Rui Sidónio - one of the most charismatic Portuguese screamers with the best live antics.
2009 will be reminded as the year with the darkest album ever on Portuguese rock history.
The band was on studio preparing the darkest, heaviest and densest work of their long career, as well as working with a very special guest - Fernando Ribeiro of Moonspell, usual passenger of this bizarre locomotive (Bizarra Locomotiva).
Words written and screamed by who suffers the world.
Drums beaten by who knows hate.
Guitars that howl pain.
Unstoppable machines that punish in violence.
With this new "Álbum Negro" (Dark Album) in the freight car, the most-powerful-than-ever Bizarra Locomotiva parts for a new journey, bringing the dark stories of the passengers that travelled, travel and will travel in it.
This is the Bizarra Locomotiva of today, travelling since 1993, and ready to travel for more years to come.
Current Line-up:
Rui Sidónio - Vocals
Miguel Fonseca - Guitars
BJ - Machines
Rui Berton - Drums
(translated from the band's official Myspace)
O Regresso
Bizarra Locomotiva Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Junto as peças
Numa azáfama de desespero
Guardo o franzir da sobrancelha no armário das dores
Junto aos destroços cardíacos
Arrumo as ideias que já não me pertencem
Em busca do analgésico antes eficaz
A dor não passa...
Fecho o armário entalando-me num amor morto
Num só golpe misericordioso
Na tentativa de impor um ruidoso convite De regresso à vida.
In Bizarra Locomotiva's song O Regresso, the lyrics express the anguish and pain of an individual who has been horribly mutilated, and is now left to piece together what remains of their shattered self. The lines "Junto as peças numa azáfama de desespero" (Together with the pieces in a frenzy of despair) suggest a frantic attempt to revive their broken body, with the singer pushing their physical and mental limits in order to find a way back to some semblance of normalcy.
Yet despite their best efforts, the pain persists, and the singer is left to deal with the emotional fallout of their traumatic experience. The imagery of "franzir da sobrancelha", or furrowing of the brow, suggests a deep sense of emotional turmoil, while the phrase "num amor morto" (in a dead love) implies a sense of loss and hopelessness.
Overall, the lyrics to O Regresso are a powerful meditation on the physical and emotional toll of trauma, and the difficult journey towards healing and recovery.
Line by Line Meaning
Horrivelmente mutilado
Feeling terribly wounded and disfigured
Junto as peças
Alongside the broken pieces of myself
Numa azáfama de desespero
Frantically trying to put myself back together
Guardo o franzir da sobrancelha no armário das dores
I hide the furrow of my brow in the cabinet of pain
Junto aos destroços cardíacos
Amidst the wreckage of my heart
Arrumo as ideias que já não me pertencem
I sort the thoughts that no longer belong to me
Em busca do analgésico antes eficaz
Searching for the painkiller that used to work
A dor não passa
The pain does not go away
A dor não passa...
The pain does not go away...
Fecho o armário entalando-me num amor morto
I close the cabinet, suffocated by a dead love
Num só golpe misericordioso
In one merciful blow
Na tentativa de impor um ruidoso convite
Attempting to impose a loud invitation
De regresso à vida.
To return to life.
Contributed by Gianna N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.