Biography

The band Hangar was formed in November 1997 with the initial aim of playing covers of some of the bands all the members liked. At the time, Hangar was composed by Michael Polchowicz (vocals), Cristiano Wortmann (guitar), Felipe Trein ( bass) and Aquiles Priester (drums). After several rehearsals, the first ideas for compositions began to appear and the first song written was “Absinth”. Hangar´s debut gig on the 23 rd of July, 1998 was very important to the band, for the audience that showed up was much larger than expected (using bills,the group had announced that they would play covers of bands such as Stratovarius, Helloween, Dream Theater, Primal Fear, Yngwie Malmsteen among others). From this date on, the band felt that they could aim higher and began composing the songs that later would be included in their first CD. Word of the good results of the gigs they had played soon got around, besides great reviews from the specialized media.

With a fulminating career, they were soon discovered by the metal lovers in Porto Alegre, and with only a year of existence the band was already opening gigs for the band Angra. Gustavo Capitâni took over the bass since Felipe had left the band due to personal reasons. With this opportunity, Hangar established itself as the revelation of southern heavy metal in 1998. After this gig, the natural consequence was the recording of their first CD. Thus the band entered the studio in November to record the album Last Time, which would be released in March, 1999. The current bass player, Nando Mello, only joined the group after the recording of this CD, the bass of which was recorded by Cristiano.

During the year 1999, the CD Last Time was promoted in the main heavy metal magazines of the country and all reviews were very positive and brought immediate results to the sales of the CD. Hangar performed in various cities in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul and in October 1999 played a gig at the now extinct Black Jack Bar in São Paulo. At the end of that year, the band suffered a new alteration with the departure of guitar player Cristiano Wortmann, due to musical differences. In his place, after various tests with guitar players of Porto Alegre, in came Eduardo Martinez, from the extinct band Panic, which during the 90´s was of great importance to the national heavy metal scene.

Soon after, the drummer of the band, Aquiles Priester, took part of various gigs with Tritone, a parallel project with Frank Scolari, Eduardo Ardanuy ( Dr. Sin) and Sérgio Buss (Steve Vai) and was also invited to record the album Nomad,of the former Iron Maiden singer, Paul Di´Anno. The album was released in March 2000, followed by a national tour. The gig in Porto Alegre was opened by Hangar, and was very well received by the public.

In 2001 the band got great news when Aquiles was confirmed as Angra´s new drummer, the biggest name of Brazilian melodic heavy metal. Up to now, Aquiles already recorded three studio albums, one EP and a live album with the band, besides having done three world tours.

In the beginning of August 2001, the successor to Last Time was released: Inside Your Soul. The album was recorded in São Paulo at the Creative Sound Studio and was released by the record labels Die Hard Records and Rock Brigade Records. The novelty of this album are the sound elements that Eduardo Martinez brought to the new compositions, besides some keyboard arrangements composed and performed by keyboard player Fábio Laguna. The album also includes a musical trilogy entitled The Massacre that speaks about the discovery and colonization process of our country. All of this made Inside Your Soul a much heavier, faster and more elaborate album than its predecessor, Last Time.

During the same year, Hangar also took part of the project Shakespeare´s Hamlet Project, of Die Hard label of São Paulo. The project reunited some of the main heavy metal and hard rock bands of Brazil, interpreting the lyrics of the famous masterpiece in unprecedented compositions written by the bands. Hangar participated with the track “Hidden by Shadows” and Michael Polchowicz also lent his vocals to the operatic “To Be”.

In February 2002, Fábio Laguna became a member of Hangar. In July of the same year, the band got together in Porto Alegre to record the demo of the song “Forever Will Be”. The band wasn’t able to follow-up its new compositions due to Angra´s extensive tour, which prolonged itself throughout the year.

In February 2003, Hangar performed for the second time at the BMU (Brazil Metal Union), counting with the participation of Angra´s vocalist Edu Falaschi on the track “To Tame a Land”. That same month, the band did a tour in the northeast of Brazil, performing in seven of the main capitals of the region and playing to a very expressive number of fans. On Rádio Cidade, a radio station of Recife, the song “To Tame a Land” reached number one in number of executions of the year 2002, according to the general audience of the radio, including all styles of music played. In July, the band reunited again to play two more gigs in Rio Grande do Sul, one in Porto Alegre and the other in Caxias do Sul.

Still in the second semester of 2003, the band began composing some songs that would be included in the following album. As Aquiles was living in São Paulo since 2001, the reunions became more sporadic and many people began to believe that Hangar would end its activities very soon. However, the band is still united in spite of the physical distance and the various engagements Fábio and Aquiles have with Angra. At the end of that year, Mello, Michael and Martinez recorded all the material that had been composed until then on a demo tape, with only guitar, bass and vocals. In July of that same year, Hangar was invited to participate in a tribute to Journey. The chosen song was “Ask The Lonely” and Edu Falaschi participated in the backing vocals. The tribute was never released, but the song can be checked out in a live performance by Aquiles in the DVD Inside my Drums.

In January 2004, Martinez and Fábio got together to start arranging the songs previously selected by the band. The third stage took place during carnival the following month when Aquiles, Fábio and Martinez got together to finish the arrangements and record the first demo of the new album.

In January 2005, the band finished the vocal arrangements of the six new songs that would be part of the demo that would be presented to record labels all over the world in search of international contracts. In the first semester of that year, singer Michael Polchowicz left the band, since the new material was leading them in a direction completely different to everything the band had already done and both parts agreed it would be in everyone´s best interest.

After a new period of total inactivity, Hangar went through a long period of auditions to choose a new singer. After exactly a year, during which more than 50 candidates were auditioned, Nando Fernandes was chosen to be the new voice of Hangar. His debut happened in October 2006, at the Expomusic Fair in São Paulo where he took part of three showcases that were marked by a lot of energy. Thus began a new phase in Hangar´s career. Nando rapidly incorporated the spirit of the music and the power of his potent voice brought another dimension to all new songs already composed by the band and also to those that would be written after he joined the band.

Parallel to all this, the band began recording their new album, The Reason Of Your Conviction, at Mr. Som Studio in São Paulo. The recordings took place in various stages during the second semester of 2006, being concluded in January 2007. Ten songs composed by the band were recorded as well as a cover of the song “Breaking all the Rules” by American guitar player Peter Frampton. The new album was mixed and mastered by Tommy Newton at Area 51 Recording Studio in Celle, Germany, in March 2007. Tommy has worked with bands such as Helloween, Conception, Ark, Elegy, UFO etc. Hangar´s new work is a concept album and speaks of the human mind and all alterations that can occur during a frustrating period in a normal person´s life. This person discovers new sensations through the death of other people. In a desperate search for forgiveness, he discovers that he became a potential serial killer and spends his life trying to re-counter his equilibrium.

The Reason Of Your Conviction marks the beginning of a new phase in Hangar´s career and now the band is preparing for the world-wide release of their new album, that will take place in July in Japan, and in August in Brazil, Europe and the United States.

After the release of the album, Hangar began a series of gigs in Brazil and Latin America in 2008, further consolidating the quintet´s name. However, in the beginning of 2009, Nando Fernandes decided to leave the band due to personal reasons. Aquiles, Mello, Martinez and Fábio then began intense auditions with candidates from all over the country. Over 150 candidates applied and 30 of them were tested by the band. At the end of this process, Humberto Sobrinho was chosen. He became known for his work as front man of heavy metal band Glory Opera from the state of Amazonas. According to Aquiles, “besides being a great singer, Humberto also has the spirit and determination we need in the band and now we are certain that the team is complete so we can continue our work”.

Immediately putting things into practice, the band gathered at a farm in the Paulista municipality of Tatuí (where one of the main music schools of the country is located and that is why Tatuí is considered the music capital of Brazil) to begin the production of their fourth studio album. Initially, the musicians dedicated themselves to the composition of the 10 tracks included in the album (eleven counting the exclusive track for the Japanese market). Then, at the same location, the pre-production and recording of guitars, bass, keyboards and vocals took place by means of a mobile unit of the Daufembach studio, under the command of sound engineer Adair Daufembach. As to the drums, these were recorded at The Magic Place studio in Florianópolis, that counts with a room specially projected to provide the perfect ambience. Then, Aquiles, who signs the production, traveled to Germany to mix and master the album with producer and sound technician Tommy Newton at studio Area 51 in Celle, Germany.

The album was released at the Expomusic 2009, an event that reunites the Brazilian music community and is held every year in São Paulo. Now the band begins another series of gigs in Brazil and the world, giving sequence to a history filled with achievements.

After concerts held around the country, Hangar took the first steps towards recording their first acoustic album, a format which had been seen in many occasions. However, before starting work, Humberto Sobrinho left the band for personal reasons. To replace him, André Leite was called in, and his first mission was to record Acoustic, but Plugged In, album that brings together fifteen songs in acoustic format and one of which is a new song called “Haunted By Your Ghosts”.

The album was produced by Aquiles Priester, co-produced and mixed by Theo Vieira and mastered by Heros Trench (Mr. Som). The album was released at Expomusic 2011, held 21-25 September in São Paulo, through the label Making Of.

The album was produced by drummer Aquiles Priester, co-produced and mixed by Theo Vieira and mastered by Heros Trench (Mr. Som).The “Acoustic …” was an immediate success and sold out its first edition in a few weeks. The format of guitars and rhythmic songs resulted in the DVD recording “Hangar – Haunted By Your Ghosts in Ijuí – RS, Acoustic But Plugged In And Live”. Recorded at the Teatro SESC Ijuí in the city of Rio Grande do Sul, the DVD records previously released songs on the CD and is marked by large public participation. Launched in September 2012, the DVD was received with enthusiasm by all. That same month the band had the privilege of participating in the “Programa do Jô” on TV Globo. One of the most respected TV programs in the country was marked by presentation of the band with the song “Solitary Mind” and a revealing interview with drummer Aquiles Priester.

The second half of 2012 arrived with a tour of Hangar 15 years, they visited several cities with the execution of entire albums in concert and participation of our first vocalist and Michael Polchowicz and the first guitarist Cristiano Wortmann. Those were the first shows also from vocalist Pedro Campos who joined us in music concerts and interpretation on post “Inside Your Soul”. The tour was a success.

The year 2013 has come and the band begins to run the project commemorative CD release of his 15-year career. The success of the tour of Hangar 15 years formalizes Pedro Campos as its official vocalist and the comeback of guitarist Cristiano Wortmann, a founding member of the band in 1997. Wortmann brought a second guitar to the band’s formation and all his desire to reclaim the years passed along the band.

With the new formation, the band set out to record six new songs, some unreleased, others rereadings that will be part of the CD “Hangar – The best of 15 Years, Based On A True Story” to be released in November 2014.