Biography

VIPER was formed in 1985 by Andre Matos (vocals), brothers Pit Passarell (bass) and Yves Passarell (guitar), Felipe Machado (guitar), and Cassio Audi (drums). The first show was at the traditional Lira Paulistana theater, in São Paulo, on April 8th.

At the time, the musicians were still teenagers. The band then started to perform on the local circuit and recorded a demo “The Killera Sword”, which was well accepted by the fans after being released on a popular radio show.
They were invited by the independent label created by Rock Brigade magazine to record their first album, “Soldiers of Sunrise”, released in 1987. The album was praised by the specialized press, and the band was invited to perform the opening show for Motörhead in São Paulo, for more than ten thousand people.

For the second album, the band hired English producer Roy Rowland, famous for his work with Testament and Laaz Rockit. Studio drummer Sergio Facci replaced Cassio Audi. In 1989, VIPER released the historic “Theatre of Fate”, considered to this day one of the greatest albums in the history of Brazilian heavy metal.

The pioneering style that mixed power metal and classical music led VIPER to become a respected name around the world. Songs like “Living For the Night”, “A Cry From the Edge”, “Prelude to Oblivion”, and “Moonlight” made this album an instant classic. Its success led the band to sign an international contract to release it in Japan (JVC), Europe (Massacre Records), and the United States (Empire Records).

From Evolution to All My Life
V2: 1992-2009

Due to musical differences with the rest of the band and focusing on his career in classical music, Andre Matos decided to leave VIPER at the end of the “Fate on Tour” in 1990 – a tour that featured Guilherme Martin on the drums. Bassist Pit Passarell took over the vocals, and the band began to compose the third album. With the entry of new drummer Renato Graccia, the band went to Germany to record the album “Evolution”, with a new sound and attitude.
Recorded in the cities of Munich, Hannover, and Hamburg, “Evolution” brought a fresh and heavier band, with songs that also became big hits such as “Rebel Maniac”, “Evolution”, “The Shelter”, and “The Spreading Soul”. VIPER went on tour in Brazil and performed the opening shows for two outstanding bands: Black Sabbath for 20,000 people, and Metallica, in two legendary performances at a crowded stadium to a combined audience of 40,000.

With the invitation to perform in Europe and Japan, the band’s first World Tour became a reality. They played in Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Switzerland, as well as Japan. In Tokyo, the band recorded their first live album, “Maniacs in Japan”, an intense live album that unquestionably captured all the band’s energy on stage. To celebrate the Japanese tour, the band released the EP “Vipera Sapiens”, with songs recorded during the sessions of “Evolution” in Germany.

In 1994, the band was signed by Roadrunner and went to the United States for the first time to record the album “Coma Rage”. The sessions took place in Los Angeles, California, and were produced by Bill Metoyer, who had previously worked with Slayer. The result was the band’s heaviest album, with punk and hardcore influence evidenced in hits such as “Coma Rage”, “I Fought the Law” (a version of The Clash), and “Makin Love”. Back from the USA, VIPER performed at one of the most memorable shows of their career: the Monsters of Rock Festival, at the Pacaembu stadium, where they shared the stage with Kiss, Black Sabbath, Suicidal Tendencies, and Slayer.

In 1996, the band embarked on an unusual adventure: after being signed by the record label Castle Brasil, they moved to Rio de Janeiro and recorded “Tem Pra Todo Mundo”, an album that they experienced in the field of Brazilian rock and, for the first time, sung in Portuguese. Despite the controversy with the most radical fans, the single “8 de Abril” entered the charts, and its video was number one on MTV. During the Brazilian tour, Castle Brasil ran into legal problems, and the band, tied to their contract, had their activities paralyzed for a few years.

In 2005, the band returned full power with Ricardo Bocci on vocals, Val Santos on guitar, and Renato Graccia on drums, as well as founding members Pit Passarell and Felipe Machado. In August, they released the DVD “Living For the Night – 20 Years of VIPER”, a documentary containing interviews and videos from the band’s entire career.

At that time, Andre Matos had already founded two worldwide famous bands, Angra and Shaman, and former member Yves Passarell joined Brazilian popular rock act Capital Inicial. In 2007, VIPER released the album “All My Life”, which featured Andre Matos on vocals for “Love is All”. The band went back on the road, in a Brazilian tour that went on until 2009.

To Live Again Tour and the return of Andre Matos
V3: 2012-2015

In 2012, invited by the management company Wikimetal, VIPER announced the “To Live Again” tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the album “Soldiers of Sunrise”. With Andre Matos, Pit Passarell, Felipe Machado, Guilherme Martin, and guitarist Hugo Mariutti, who played with Matos at Shaman, they went out to Brazil and Latin America playing the full versions of albums “Soldiers of Sunrise” and “Theatre of Fate”.

During the tour, the band opened for Kiss in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and recorded the live CD/DVD “To Live Again – Live in São Paulo” in 2013. In September 2013, they played a historic gig at Rock in Rio, fulfilling an old dream of the teenagers who got together in 1985, the very year of the first Rock in Rio.

In 2015, guitarist Felipe Machado released his first solo album, “FMSolo”, and Pit Passarell followed in 2019 with “Praticamente Nada”, which reinforced his talent as a lyricist and composer, collaborating with one of the Brazilian most popular pop acts, Capital Inicial.

New album with Leandro Caçoilo
V5: 2016 – Today

After Rock in Rio, Andre returned to Shaman. VIPER invited Leandro Caçoilo to be the new singer, which brought a new power and energy to the band. Hugo Mariutti was replaced by virtuoso guitar player Kiko Shred, famous for his solo career and for touring with names such as singers Tim “Reaper” Owens (ex-Judas Priest), Mike Vescera (ex-Loudness and Yngwie Malmsteen). The band started to work on new material.

In 2019, a big tragedy struck their old friend: the singer Andre Matos died after suffering a sudden heart attack at home. Many tributes were made, including VIPER’s recording (with Andre’s vocals found in previous studio sessions) a new version of “The Spreading Soul”, one of the most beautiful compositions in the band’s history. The song was produced by Mauricio Cersosimo in New York City, and a now legendary video was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After a period dedicated to compositions, VIPER went back to the studio and released “Timeless” in 2023. The band was once again back in full power. With songs that became instant classics, such as “Under the Sun”, “Freedom of Speech”, and “Timeless”, the work is one of the strongest released by the band throughout its long and legendary career.

In 2022, VIPER played one of their most important concerts: for the second time, they stormed the stage in Rock in Rio, in Rio de Janeiro. Two years later, a new tragedy hit the band: bass player Pit Passarell was diagnosed with cancer and died in September of 2024. But the Metal Gods brought a bass player who brought good vibes and respected the band’s history: Daniel Matos, brother of Ander Matos.

With the line-up of Leandro Caçoilo (vocals), Felipe Machado and Kiko Shred (guitars), Daniel Matos (bass guitar), and Guilherme Martin (drums), VIPER is on the road with the “Timeless Tour”, a series of concerts that have taken the Brazilian Metal Icon to many cities in Brazil and international stages, such as the traditional Grita Festival in Manizales, Colombia. Now VIPER is still on the road while begun to work on new material for the follow-up to “Timeless”, which will be due in 2026.