Viper (band)
Encyclopedia
Viper is a Brazil
ian heavy metal
band formed in 1985 initially highly influenced by Iron Maiden
and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal
, later developing a very particular sound.
, and in 1987 they released their first album, Soldiers of Sunrise — which, despite the simple production, and the somewhat flawed English in the lyrics, showcased the high degree of talent and skill of the band's members, all of them teenagers at the time.
In 1989 they released Theatre of Fate, notable for the metal and classical music
mix, with a song based on Beethoven
's Moonlight Sonata; another noteworthy song is Living for the Night - possibly the favorite one of most Viper fans. This album was released in several countries and granted them international fame - especially in Japan, where it outsold renowned groups like Nirvana
and Van Halen
.
Not long after that, however, singer Andre Matos
left Viper to go to complete his education in music at a University in Germany. Upon returning to Brazil he joined the band Angra
.
Rather than look for another singer, bassist (and main composer) Pit Passarel took over the microphone. This led to the first major change in the band's style, noticeable in their next album, Evolution, released in 1992 - heavier, more direct, with a more thrash metal
sounding. Again, it is a commercial success with good reviews.
On April 18, 1993, Viper played in Club Cittá, Tokyo
; this concert's record was later released as Maniacs in Japan.
In 1995 they released their next album, Coma Rage, in which a punk influence is quite strong - as the presence of a cover version of "I Fought the Law
" makes very clear. Despite mixed reviews, it is again a fine seller. However, the band has stated later that, in hindsight, they are far from satisfied with the album's mixing
.
1996 was possibly the band's darkest moment: soon after the release of Tem Pra Todo Mundo - their first album with lyrics in Portuguese, and a lighter, pop-like sound - their record label at the time (the Brazilian arm of Castle Communications
) went bankrupt; legal disputes and the disappearance of the album's masters
prevented the re-release of the album by some other label, or the recording of another album by Viper. The band's activities came to a halt, despite never officially breaking up.
In 1999 the compilation Everybody Everybody – The Best of Viper was released to celebrate fifteen years of Viper.
In 2001 the band officially returned to their activities, doing some concerts around the Brazil. Soon after, guitarist Yves Passarel left Viper to keep his focus on his new band, Capital Inicial
, a renowned Brazilian pop-rock band; his brother Pit also works with this band as a composer.
In 2004, with a new singer, Ricardo Bocci, Viper resumed touring in Brazil, and in 2005 they released a DVD
documentary, 20 Years Living for the Night.
In December 2005 the band released a "20 years of Viper" DVD, telling all the story of the band in all its existence. They also started working in the pre-production of a new album, and recorded a demo; in February 2006 they started recording the album. All My Life was finally released in June 2007. After a tour in Brazil, Viper went into hiatus again; in February 2010, Bocci announced that, given the band's inactive status, he had left it to work in his solo career. http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=406745997&blogId=528911256
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band formed in 1985 initially highly influenced by Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal
New Wave of British Heavy Metal
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s, in Britain, and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. The movement developed as a reaction in part to the decline of early heavy metal bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black...
, later developing a very particular sound.
Biography
Viper recorded their first demo tape in 1985, The Killera SwordThe Killera Sword
The Killera Sword is an Demo album of Brazilian heavy metal band Viper, released in 1985.- Tracks :# "Law of the Sword" - 04:38# "Signs of the Night" - 03:59# "Nightmare" - 04:25# "H.R. " - 03:11# "The Whipper" - 05:36...
, and in 1987 they released their first album, Soldiers of Sunrise — which, despite the simple production, and the somewhat flawed English in the lyrics, showcased the high degree of talent and skill of the band's members, all of them teenagers at the time.
In 1989 they released Theatre of Fate, notable for the metal and classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
mix, with a song based on Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
's Moonlight Sonata; another noteworthy song is Living for the Night - possibly the favorite one of most Viper fans. This album was released in several countries and granted them international fame - especially in Japan, where it outsold renowned groups like Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
and Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
.
Not long after that, however, singer Andre Matos
André Matos
André Coelho Matos born September 14, 1971 in São Paulo, Brazil. He is the oldest son of photographer Pedro Henrique Matos and Sonia Maria Coelho. André Matos was the former vocalist, pianist and composer for the power metal bands Viper, Angra and Shaaman. Since October 2006 Andre Matos has been...
left Viper to go to complete his education in music at a University in Germany. Upon returning to Brazil he joined the band Angra
Angra (band)
Angra is a Brazilian metal band from São Paulo, Brazil known for its symphonic interludes, highly technical instrumental playing and Brazilian regional elements.- Biography :...
.
Rather than look for another singer, bassist (and main composer) Pit Passarel took over the microphone. This led to the first major change in the band's style, noticeable in their next album, Evolution, released in 1992 - heavier, more direct, with a more thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
sounding. Again, it is a commercial success with good reviews.
On April 18, 1993, Viper played in Club Cittá, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
; this concert's record was later released as Maniacs in Japan.
In 1995 they released their next album, Coma Rage, in which a punk influence is quite strong - as the presence of a cover version of "I Fought the Law
I Fought the Law
"I Fought the Law" is a song written by Sonny Curtis of The Crickets and became popularized by a cover by the Bobby Fuller Four, which went on to become a top-ten hit for the band in 1966 and was also recorded by The Clash in 1979...
" makes very clear. Despite mixed reviews, it is again a fine seller. However, the band has stated later that, in hindsight, they are far from satisfied with the album's mixing
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
.
1996 was possibly the band's darkest moment: soon after the release of Tem Pra Todo Mundo - their first album with lyrics in Portuguese, and a lighter, pop-like sound - their record label at the time (the Brazilian arm of Castle Communications
Castle Communications
Castle Communications was a British independent record label founded in 1983 by Terry Shand, Cliff Dane and Jon Beecher. The company was acquired by the American music distributor Alliance Entertainment in 1994 and in 2000 it was absorbed into Sanctuary Records Group...
) went bankrupt; legal disputes and the disappearance of the album's masters
Master recording
A multitrack recording master tape, disk or computer files on which productions are developed for later mixing, is known as the multi-track master, while the tape, disk or computer files holding a mix is called a mixed master.It is standard practice to make a copy of a master recording, known as...
prevented the re-release of the album by some other label, or the recording of another album by Viper. The band's activities came to a halt, despite never officially breaking up.
In 1999 the compilation Everybody Everybody – The Best of Viper was released to celebrate fifteen years of Viper.
In 2001 the band officially returned to their activities, doing some concerts around the Brazil. Soon after, guitarist Yves Passarel left Viper to keep his focus on his new band, Capital Inicial
Capital Inicial
Capital Inicial is a Brazilian rock band that flourished in the 1980s, saw a resurgence in the late '90s, and extended into the 2000s.-History:...
, a renowned Brazilian pop-rock band; his brother Pit also works with this band as a composer.
In 2004, with a new singer, Ricardo Bocci, Viper resumed touring in Brazil, and in 2005 they released a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
documentary, 20 Years Living for the Night.
In December 2005 the band released a "20 years of Viper" DVD, telling all the story of the band in all its existence. They also started working in the pre-production of a new album, and recorded a demo; in February 2006 they started recording the album. All My Life was finally released in June 2007. After a tour in Brazil, Viper went into hiatus again; in February 2010, Bocci announced that, given the band's inactive status, he had left it to work in his solo career. http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=406745997&blogId=528911256
Line-up
- Ricardo Bocci (vocal)
- Pit Passarell (bass)
- Felipe Machado (guitar)
- Renato Graccia (drums)
- Marcelo Mello (guitar) guest musician for the All My Life tour
Former members
- Yves Passarell (guitar) (1985–2001)
- Andre MatosAndré MatosAndré Coelho Matos born September 14, 1971 in São Paulo, Brazil. He is the oldest son of photographer Pedro Henrique Matos and Sonia Maria Coelho. André Matos was the former vocalist, pianist and composer for the power metal bands Viper, Angra and Shaaman. Since October 2006 Andre Matos has been...
(vocals) (1985–1990) - Cassio Audi (drums) (1985–1989)
- Val Santos (guitar) (2001–2007)
- Guilherme Martins (drums) (1989–1991, 2001–2005)
Albums
- The Killera SwordThe Killera SwordThe Killera Sword is an Demo album of Brazilian heavy metal band Viper, released in 1985.- Tracks :# "Law of the Sword" - 04:38# "Signs of the Night" - 03:59# "Nightmare" - 04:25# "H.R. " - 03:11# "The Whipper" - 05:36...
(demo tape, 1985) - Soldiers of SunriseSoldiers of SunriseSoldiers of Sunrise is the first album by Brazilian heavy metal band Viper. It was re-released by Massacre Records in 1992 and re-released again in 1997 by Paradoxx Music in a 2-in-1 edition with the Theatre of Fate album.-Track listing:...
(1987) - Theatre of FateTheatre of FateTheatre of Fate is the second album by Brazilian heavy metal band Viper. It was re-released in 1997 by Paradoxx Music in a 2-in-1 edition with the Soldiers of Sunrise album."Moonlight" is based on Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata".-Track listing:...
(1989) - EvolutionEvolution (Viper album)Evolution is the third album by Brazilian heavy metal band Viper, release in 1992.-Track listing:# "Coming From The Inside" — 3:51# "Evolution" — 5:13# "Rebel Maniac" — 3:29...
(1992) - Vipera SapiensVipera SapiensVipera Sapiens is an EP by Brazilian heavy metal band Viper. It was released under the name Viper Brazil.-Track listing:# "Acid Heart" — 3:16# "Silent Enemy" — 3:58# "Crime" — 4:06# "Wasted Again" — 3:21# "Killing World" — 3:08...
(EP, 1992) - Maniacs in JapanManiacs in JapanManiacs in Japan is a live album by Brazilian heavy metal band Viper. It is a recording of a concert in Club Cittá, Tokyo, on 18 April 1993...
(live album, 1993) - Coma RageComa RageComa Rage is the fourth album by Brazilian heavy metal band Viper, release in 1995.-Track listing:# "Coma Rage" - 2:54# "Straight Ahead" - 4:11# "Somebody Told Me You're Dead" - 2:30# "Makin' Love" - 4:16# "Blast!" - 2:21# "God Machine" - 3:04...
(1995) - Tem Pra Todo MundoTem Pra Todo MundoTem Pra Todo Mundo is the fifth album by Brazilian heavy metal band Viper, release in 1996.-Track listing:# "Dinheiro" — 2:56# "Crime Na Cidade" — 2:51# "8 De Abril" — 4:09# "Sábado" — 2:59# "Not Ready To Get Up" — 3:44# "Quinze Anos" — 3:56...
(1996) - Everybody EverybodyEverybody Everybody (album)Everybody Everybody is a compilation album by Brazilian heavy metal band Viper.-Track listing:#"Not Ready to Get Up"#"Dead Light"#"I Fought the Law" #"Rebel Maniac"#"8 De Abril"#"Coma Rage"...
(compilation, 1999) - Do It All Again (demo, 2005)
- All My Life (June 2007)