Interview With Celso Alves from Allos | “Strong Delusion” Is A Dream Come True”
We had been wanting to interview a Brazilian band for quite some time. As fate would have it, that band turned out to be Allos, a band that started from the bottom and, through hard work, managed not only to release the album “Strong Delusion” in 2024, but also to reissue their first album, originally released in 2012. In this article, we spoke with Celso Alves, Allos’ vocalist, who shared part of the band’s history with us. We talked about “Strong Delusion” and even had time for a little chat about soccer (inevitable when dealing with Argentines and Brazilians). In short, this is the result of the interview…
First of all, thank you for the interview… Tell us how the band came about and why you chose the name Allos. What does it mean?
“The band started back in 2003 as a family project — it was made up of three brothers and a cousin. The initial idea was to play something more like Pop Rock, but as the songs started coming together, we realized the sound was naturally leaning toward a heavier direction, due to our influences from bands like Narnia, Rhapsody, and Angra. Eventually, the music became much more aligned with Neoclassical Heavy Metal. At first, Júnior Oliveira handled both vocals and guitar, but since the style demanded something more specific in the vocals, the guys saw me perform at a show and invited me to join. It took me a few years to accept, but I believe everything happens in its time — so I officially joined in 2009 to help solidify the band’s musical identity.
As for the name “Allos,” it comes from the Greek and means “another.” The inspiration came from John 14:16, when Jesus says: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever…” This “another” refers to the Holy Spirit — so, in a way, Allos represents the Holy Spirit itself.”
Allos has released two albums, the first in 2012 and the latest, Strong Delusion, in 2024. What happened to cause such a long delay between the two albums? What is the difference between them?
“We’ve seen many critics bring up — sometimes even negatively — this delay in their reviews of Strong Delusion. So, with all due respect, maybe that explains a little why some people are critics and not musicians! Unfortunately, music is not our profession. Everything we’ve done has been out of love and personal fulfillment, and, of course, we see the band as a mission. But to make this dream happen, we had to organize our lives — as human beings, as professionals, as husbands — and in my case, Celso… as a father.
It’s important to point out that during this time we weren’t completely inactive. After releasing Spiritual Battle in 2012, we played many shows, opened for major acts like Angra and Stryper, and even toured with Narnia. All of that continued until 2017, when we took a step back from performing to focus on writing Strong Delusion. Pre-production began in 2019, and we started recording in 2020 — right when the pandemic hit and totally disrupted our timeline. On top of that, personal issues contributed to further delays, but we stayed calm, trusting that everything happens at the right time. In the end, we only finished recording in 2023.
It’s worth mentioning that the entire project was self-funded by the band members — no help from labels, managers, or even churches. And because we wanted to achieve a high standard of quality, the delay was necessary so we could organize ourselves and deliver our best.”
How did it come about that Strong Delusion was recorded? There are a lot of special guests on it!
“Strong Delusion” is the fulfillment of a dream. It carries the truth of four people who are passionate about music and want to use it to convey messages of reflection — always grounded in the Word of God.
We learned a lot from recording Spiritual Battle, and we tried to correct many mistakes on this new album. But in the end, the learning curve was even greater this time around, and that just motivated us to keep growing as musicians.
The guest appearances happened very naturally. We had always dreamed of working with artists we admired, and as the connections were made, the desire to include them only grew stronger. It was a huge honor to feature Christian Liljegren and Rob Rock — not only are they major influences, but they are also humble people and true Christians.”
One thing that caught our attention is that “Strong Delusion” has a lot of blood traction. It’s really a very well-made album, but it was produced almost independently without a major record label supporting you. Tell us about that process, and whether the band plans to continue down that path or seek a contract with a label….
“Actually, the album was completely independently produced, with each band member covering costs as they could throughout the process.
Honestly, nowadays it’s rare for a label to truly invest in a new band. Most of the time, you see distribution deals — which can help reach a wider audience due to the label’s name, but often it’s not worth it. In most cases, the band has to give up a large portion of their rights, and if the returns aren’t profitable, the loss can be significant. Streaming platforms pay very little, and if you hand over your rights to someone who isn’t going to grow your audience, you end up earning just half of that “very little.”
There are also small labels that sign tons of bands without any quality control, just to build numbers. That’s terrible for the scene — and even worse for bands who think their lives are changing, when in reality they’re just handing over their art to someone who doesn’t care and just wants to make a few bucks.
That said, there are some small but serious labels that have good reach, strong networking, and genuinely help bands grow. So we don’t rule out the idea, but we approach it with caution. Today, we’re supported digitally by Sonastério, which has done an excellent job and delivered great results compared to other Metal-specific labels in the market. For physical releases, we’re signed with En Hakkore Records in Brazil, and with Soundmass and Girder Records internationally (reissuing Spiritual Battle only) — and they’ve all treated us fairly and respectfully.”
When listening to “Strong Delusion,” we noticed a tendency and influence of melodic and epic power metal, more characteristic of the late ‘90s. Which bands have influenced you, and how does that affect Allos’ sound?
“We’re huge fans of bands like Rhapsody, Angra, Narnia, Symphony X, and Helloween. So naturally, our music leans toward a more Progressive and Melodic style. That has a huge influence on how we compose, given our background and musical DNA.
However, each member also brings very different musical tastes — both within and beyond the rock world — and that diversity allows us to complement each other and make our sound less predictable and more dynamic.”
What specifically is “Strong Delusion” about? What is the idea behind the concept and idea of the album?
“Focusing specifically on the cover and title track, Strong Delusion is based on 2 Thessalonians 2:11, which talks about God sending a powerful delusion so that those who reject the truth will be deceived.
The central idea revolves around a global system of spiritual deception, where humanity is seduced by false doctrines, messianic figures, and a fake sense of enlightenment. The artwork and lyrics explore this symbolic universe — referencing the Antichrist, Gnostic spirituality, cosmic evolution, false messiahs… many elements that ultimately form a “perverse trinity” dominating a cosmic altar.
It all represents a false global faith, beautiful on the outside but built on lies. In the end, it’s a warning — a critique of superficial spirituality and a call back to the truth of Christ.”
Beyond the biblical basis used for the lyrics, I notice a kind of description of the social reality that surrounds us. Is that the case? What inspires you when you write?
“Yes, that’s exactly it. Although the biblical foundation is the pillar of our lyrics, we always try to draw parallels with the social reality we are living. The curious thing is many of these songs were written long before current times, but somehow we already sensed the world moving in this direction — which just reinforces how relevant and current the Scriptures remain. Our inspiration comes precisely from this perception: looking around, seeing the social, spiritual, and political landscape, and bringing that into the songs through the lens of the Bible. The idea is to provoke reflection and show that behind what seems “normal” every day, there’s a spiritual battle going on.”
Are you presenting this latest album live? Are there plans for a tour outside Brazil?
“For now, we’re not playing shows with Strong Delusion yet, mostly due to each member’s personal schedules. We’d really love for everyone who participated in the album to be together for the live celebration, so we prefer to wait for the right moment rather than do something incomplete.
As for touring outside Brazil, we don’t have plans yet. It’s a big dream we want to realize someday, but we know we need to be more active and established in our local scene first — which isn’t possible at the moment. When that happens, we’ll be open and hopeful!”
There is currently a strong trend toward digital album releases, leaving aside the physical format, and although we know that Allos is strongly committed to the digital presence of its material, it continues to release physical albums. What is your opinion on this?
“It’s true that digital releases are the trend today, especially singles here and there, and we’ve been thinking of following that path somewhat — because releasing a full album requires resources we don’t always have. So, we only consider doing a full album again when a truly meaningful opportunity arises.
As for physical formats, for us it’s almost like a souvenir — something special, more emotional. It’s a keepsake people hold dear, a record of a moment, a show, or a meaningful phase in their lives with our music. We like the idea that, years from now, someone might pick up the album and relive those memories.”
What are Allos’s plans for the future? Are you thinking about new stuff? Will you continue in the same direction?
“We never stopped composing — it’s part of who we are. So yes, we’re already working on new material. We can’t promise exact dates or formats yet, but the plan is to release new music this year and make those releases more frequent, without long gaps like before. We want to keep the essence of Allos but always evolve and explore new possibilities within our identity.”
Leaving religion aside, what does God mean to you?
“God is absolute Truth amid the chaos of lies. God is direction, purpose, and meaning. God inspires us to create art with purpose, sustains us when everything seems to fall apart, and calls us to something bigger than ourselves. God is not just a belief: God is presence, guide, and reason for being — inside and outside of music.”
As an Argentine, I can’t help but ask a soccer question… In the 2026 World Cup, who will be the champion? Brazil or Argentina? (hahaha)
“Interestingly, ME, Celso Alves, have been a fan of the Argentine national team since the ‘90s — especially Batistuta and Juan Pablo Sorin (for obvious ★ reasons). So I rooted for Argentina in the last final and was really happy for the “hermanos” winning! I cheer a lot for Brazil too, but our current phase isn’t great. However, the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti might bring some excitement and help the team play better. Looking at the current scene, I’d say Argentina is the favorite — but we know the favorite doesn’t always win, as Brazil has thankfully shown five times before! (haha)”
Thank you for your time with this interview. We’ll leave the last word to you for whatever you’d like to say to our readers…
“Thank you so much for the invitation and the space — may God bless you all. Talking about music and this work moves me because I know how much of it was made with truth, love, and dedication. I’m really happy when someone stops, listens to the album carefully, reads the lyrics, and reflects… because that’s when everything makes sense.
This is my request: listen to the album multiple times with an open heart, let each song speak to you, and draw your own conclusions.
It was this search for meaning that made Metal what it is today: a symbol of resistance, authenticity, and depth. May Strong Delusion find you at the right time — just like it did for us.”
We thank Celso for his time with us, and of course Márllon Matos from En Hakkore Records for his efforts in making this contact with Allos possible. Here are Allos’ contact details so you can get in touch with them and follow them on social media, as well as our review of “Strong Delusion” and the video clip for Tele Visione Of Reality…
https://www.facebook.com/allosofficial
https://www.instagram.com/allosofficial
