ABOUT ME

My history

Born in the city of Salvador, Bahia, guitarist Lucas Barnery is recognized as a prominent musician in the Brazilian Rock/Metal scene. In addition to being a renowned teacher in Salvador, he performs as a sideman in local rock bands. Today, in his solo career and his original project (Auro Control), he finds the creative freedom to do what he loves most—compose music.

His first contact with music came through maternal influence. With her good taste and vast knowledge, his mother introduced him to classical composers like Mozart, Schubert, Bach, and Vivaldi. As for Brazilian music, Tom Jobim, João Donato, João Gilberto, Milton Nascimento, Djavan, and many others influenced his first steps into the world of music.

At the age of eleven, he inherited a guitar from his grandfather and began his musical journey. He started lessons at a music school but soon realized that just playing guitar wasn't enough for him, and quickly turned to an instrument that captivated him even more. As he explored different styles, he found in Queen a type of music that resonated deeply with him. With the first chords of "Procession," "Father to Son," "White Queen (As it Began)," and his favorite "The March of the Black Queen," he realized that the guitar was the path he wanted to follow.

After discovering Queen, the doors to rock opened wide, and Lucas delved deeper into the genre. He began listening to bands he loves to this day—Boston, King Crimson, Toto, Pink Floyd, among others. At twelve, he received his first electric guitar and, in the early 2000s, started exploring metal.

"Angra was my first encounter with fast guitar within metal; it was impactful. I remember listening to 'Unfinished Allegro' and the transition to 'Carry On'—it was a shock. I thought it was impossible to play those phrases; I think my mom didn’t like it very much because I kept replaying the song nonstop."

He was introduced to Angra by his friend and schoolmate Thiago Baumgarten (Ex-Hybria, Auro Control), and soon they both got hooked on this new sound. All their friends were learning to play and had chosen guitar as their main instrument. Lucas, besides taking lessons, received tips from Thiago, who was already ahead, playing bass.

Gradually, Lucas discovered new bands that inspired him and kept him on his musical journey. Symphony X and Arch Enemy were the next bands that made him fall deeper in love with the guitar. He soon found himself even more immersed in the genre and discovered new bands like Sonata Arctica, Helloween, Hammerfall, Nocturnal Rites, Dragonforce, Blind Guardian, Dream Theater, among others.

At fifteen, Lucas began his journey as a metal guitarist with the now-defunct band Agnes Dark. As the only teenager in a group of adults, he already displayed musical maturity beyond his years. Playing the band's songs and heavy metal classics, he began to stand out as a promising and talented guitarist for his age.

Around the same time, he started teaching guitar to close friends and schoolmates:

"The year was 2005, I was 15, and I charged R$5.00 per lesson hour—it was a very fun beginning."

During this same period, Lucas participated in a cultural competition in Bahia called "A MÁQUINA DO SOM," which involved competing for the best guitarist among students from schools throughout the state. Lucas emerged victorious by playing Michael Angelo Batio’s piece "No Boundaries." He received the prize from Tico Santa Cruz, vocalist of Detonautas, and left with his first job offer from a music school in Salvador. However, since he was underage, he couldn’t take the position.

Lucas soon began performing as a sideman in bands of various styles and with renowned artists from Salvador's axé music and sertanejo scenes. However, he realized that this wasn’t his musical dream. At eighteen, upon joining the Composition and Conducting program at UFBA, he formed his first original band, Shemariah. The band consisted of Lucas Barnery, Thiago Baumgarten (as always), Thiago Drum'On, Bruno Credídio, and Damodara Matos. It was a prog-power band that released the EP Burning Into Chains, produced by Lucas himself (lyrics, composition, and arrangements) and mixed and mastered by Jera Cravo, known for his work on Resident Evil 7 (PlayStation 5), Ubisoft's For Honor, Gentefied (Netflix Series), Briga – Femme (Juno-nominated album), among others.

The EP received much acclaim at the time, and the band toured Bahia, Sergipe, and Pernambuco, participating in the now-extinct MS Metal Fest alongside bands like Tchandalla, Confiteor, and Terra Prima. Shemariah also competed in the Wacken Open Air eliminations. However, with difficulties coordinating the members' schedules, the band went on hiatus, and Lucas began teaching guitar at music schools in Salvador.

From composer to music producer, Lucas started investing in production, primarily focused on rock. He produced and recorded local rock artists like Nozi, Johnny Gavaza, Marcela Lobato, and other independent artists from Bahia.

In 2012, Lucas was the youngest musician from Bahia to be invited to play at Expomusic in São Paulo, at the T. Miranda and Eagle booths, where he began composing his first solo guitar album. The songs have already been recorded and are currently awaiting mixing.

Years later, Lucas released his first solo album—a conceptual prog rock album titled The Wave and The Sea

"It was a very fluid composition process; I remember picking up my guitar, and in one day, the song 'Deep Into the Void' was born. The whole album came together very naturally, and the entire creation took about a week."

Alongside the album concept, there was also a small "Web Novel" on the guitarist's Instagram, illustrating the backstory for the album. This artwork was done by illustrator and web designer Gloria Oliveira and served as a teaser for the album.

Having once again composed all the lyrics and instrumental lines, Lucas even tried his hand at singing. Being a big fan of Gilmour, he wanted to bring the essence of '70s prog rock to the album.

"Singing has always been a challenge for me. Not that I think I am tone-deaf or anything—I might be—but it's more about the embarrassment."

With the album, Lucas earned a nomination for the "Best of the Year" by Roadie Crew magazine and made it into the top 20 national guitarists, a unique achievement in the history of guitar in Bahia.

"I've always been an avid reader of Roadie Crew, always voting for the best of the year. Being there, in the top 20, was something I didn’t expect—it made me feel fulfilled."

Later, Lucas was invited by Lucas de Ouro, vocalist and founder of Auro Control, to join the band. Noticing his compositional talent and creativity, their collaboration came about naturally and powerfully.

"A composing machine," said Lucas de Ouro.

Today, Lucas Barnery is the lead guitarist and main composer of Auro Control and works as a music teacher and producer.