Blue Helix is an outstanding alternative hard rock band I’ve been following on Twitter for a while, and I’m pleased to finally feature them on this blog. With roots in both Washington state and São Paulo, Brazil, they’re an international band based in the small city of Puyallup, which lies in the shadow of Mt. Rainier approximately 35 miles south of Seattle. Founded by front man, guitarist and lead vocalist Sami Chohfi in 2008, Blue Helix also includes Arman Birang on guitar, Brandon “Wolf” Gebhardt on bass, and Marco Bicca on drums.

About their multi-cultural origins, Marco is from Brazil, and Sami – who is half Brazilian and lived there earlier in his life and continues to live there part of the year – drove from his home in Florida to Seattle in 2001 at the age of 18 with the purpose of forming a band. In an interview with the webzine Voodoo Queen Digital Magazine, Sami stated that his inspiration to become a musician came from “seeing a video on MTV from a band called Nirvana. It changed my life entirely. Music was all I had to heal me and shield me from my difficult childhood.” He’s also a big fan of the Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, and the late Chris Cornell, so relocating to Seattle made perfect sense. After moving to Washington, he eventually met Arman and Wolf, who already lived there. Interestingly, Blue Helix recently completed their first-ever tour of Brazil during the second half of March.

They released their debut EP Light the Wick in 2008, followed by a second EP Coda in 2011 and a full album Tale of Two Halves in 2014. In late 2017 they dropped their outstanding EP Anti-Social Butterfly, which addressed topical issues like overcoming self-doubt, feelings of powerlessness and fear resulting from bullying and abuse. Sami was bullied at school and at home, and wanted to write a song and create a video that would help give hope and empowerment to people who’ve suffered from any form of bullying. The powerful title track “Anti-Social Butterfly” is the result.

Musically, the track at once bursts wide open to sounds of Marco’s pounding drums and wildly crashing cymbals. Arman’s razor-sharp riffs swirl and rip through the airwaves, anchored by Wolf’s heavy buzzing bass. Sami’s vocals are raw and impassioned as he snarls the biting lyrics denouncing those who put him down, stripping him of his dignity and self-worth, and rising up to throw off the emotional chains and become the person he was meant to be. His vocals lower to a seductive, almost sinister tone in the bridge, only to explode into visceral screams as guitars rage and Marco nearly beats his drums to the breaking point. It’s a hard-hitting track that leaves you spent by the end.

I carry weight as heavy as scars
I wear my pain like it’s art
If it’s time to let it all go
Maybe I can take a piece to hold

You don’t like the man I am
Like I ruined all your plans
He said “Son, it’s just a tiny phase or maybe time to revelate”

Anti-social Butterfly
Spread your wings and learn to lie
You take me for a broken man
But baby I’m your biggest fan

And I would sell my soul
There’s nothing left to save at all
They’ve taken everything
And If I could I’d wish it all away
I’d disassociate, drive them all insane
This has become my own type of hell

I just wanna feel something
I just wanna be someone else
I just wanna feel something now
You don’t like the man I am
Like I ruined all your plans
I’m an Anti-social Butterfly
And I am here to take what’s mine

The powerful video is a perfect embodiment of the song’s lyrics. Scenes of the band performing the song at a boxing ring – with Sami standing inside of it – are interwoven with an unfolding story of a young man being bullied in high school. He then decides to bulk up and train to be a boxer, ultimately defeating his worst tormentor in the ring at the end. It’s fantastic, and for someone like me who was also bullied as a child both at home and at school, incredibly satisfying.

Connect with Blue Helix:  Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music:  Spotify /  Apple Music / Soundcloud
Purchase:  iTunes / Bandcamp / cdbaby