Andre Matos is one of the greatest voices in heavy metal, not only in Brazil, but globally. Born on September 14, 1971, the singer, songwriter, pianist, conductor, and producer from São Paulo has had a prolific career throughout his 47 years of life, most of which he dedicated to his love of music, and has become recognized and admired by fellow musicians around the world.
Andre Matos led numerous successful and musically significant projects, most notably three of the biggest bands in Brazilian metal: VIPER, Angra , and Shaman . Wikimetal has selected the 30 best songs from the career of the "Maestro of Rock," as he is known and remembered, encompassing all these works, as well as projects with Virgo, Symfonia, and collaborations with other artists, in the playlist " Andre Matos – The Maestro of Rock ," available on Spotify and Deezer .
If you are not yet familiar with any of the phases of Andre Matos' career or would like to revisit the unique trajectory of this artist, please continue reading the article below.
Andre Matos and the beginnings of his career at VIPER.
Andre's passion for music began early, especially for heavy metal, a love he shared with his school friends. It didn't take long for him to try to emulate idols like Iron Maiden : at just 14 years old, the young man formed his first band and would soon leave a mark on Brazilian heavy metal: VIPER was born in 1985 and quickly released Soldiers of Sunrise , a debut that would become a classic, with musicians who were on average 16 years old.
In that initial lineup, the band consisted of Andre Matos (vocals), Pit Passarell (bass), Felipe Machado (guitar), Yves Passarell (guitar), and Cassio Audi (drums). Later, he was replaced by Guilherme Martin.
The second album was Theatre of Fate (1989), produced by the British Roy Rowland, a critical and commercial success in the international market, especially in Japan, where it reached the top of the charts.
His time with his first band lasted until 1991. After two albums, the musician left VIPER to dedicate himself to his studies.
Best songs by Andre Matos on VIPER: “Knights of destruction”, “Prelude to Oblivion”, “Wings of the Evil”, “The Spreading Soul Forever”, “Soldiers of Sunrise”, “Nightmares”, “Love is All”, “Moonlight”, “Living For The Night”, “A Cry From The Edge”, “To Live Again” and “Law of the Sword”.
READ ALSO: Andre Matos at VIPER: 4 essential performances to remember the Maestro of Rock
Andre Matos in Angra: formation, albums and departure
In college, Andre Matos enrolled in a bachelor's degree in Orchestral Conducting and Musical Composition, which he pursued at two institutions: initially at the Santa Marcelina Arts College, transferring in his final year to the Alcântara Machado Arts College. It was at the first institution that the artist found the partners for his next musical project: Angra, a band formed at the invitation of Rafael Bittencourt back in 1991.
Besides the two musicians, the first Angra lineup also included André Linhares (guitar), later replaced by Kiko Loureiro, Luis Mariutti (bass), and Marco Antunes (drums), who left the band shortly after, with Alex Holzwarth taking over the position. During Andre Matos's time as frontman, this was the position with the highest turnover in Angra, which would also include Ricardo Confessori in the following years.
After the release of the demo Reaching Horizons (1993), Angra began a solid discography with internationally acclaimed albums: Angels Cry (1993) and Holy Land (1996) resulted in extensive tours throughout Brazil, Europe and Japan, as well as participation in the Monsters of Rock and opening for an AC/DC in Brazil.
Andre Matos' last album with Angra was Fireworks (1998). In contrast to the commercial success of their previous works, the internal relationship between the band members was in full decline, with artistic and even personal disagreements. After the Holy Land , the vocalist was determined to leave the group and almost did so prematurely .
At the time, Edu Falaschi even rehearsed with Angra as a possible replacement for Matos, but the original vocalist would return to record the band's third and final album, Fireworks (1998), before definitively leaving the group in 1999.
Best songs by Andre Matos in Angra: “Carry On”, “Nothing to Say”, “Lisbon”, “Make Believe”, “Wuthering Heights” and “Deep Blue”. Listen to the full playlist on Spotify or Deezer .
READ ALSO: When Andre Matos almost became the vocalist for Iron Maiden: auditions, Angra, and recognition
The story of Andre Matos in Shaman: back on top once again.
When Andre Matos left Angra, he wasn't the only one to leave: bassist Luis Mariutti and drummer Ricardo Confessori also left the band in 1999. Despite Andre's involvement in other projects, the trio reunited in 2000 to form a new band, whose original lineup was completed by guitarist Hugo Mariutti, Luis's brother.
From then on, Shaman embarked on a journey in which they sought to win over audiences through their own merits and establish the band's name, with a well-received debut tour throughout Latin America and Europe.
In the studio, this result was consolidated by the album Ritual (2002). The single "Fairy Tale" was included in the soundtrack of the telenovela O Beijo do Vampiro , on Rede Globo, an unprecedented feat for a Brazilian heavy metal band. Furthermore, the album yielded one of the most important live recordings in Brazilian metal: RituAlive , released the following year.
Shaman's second and final album with Andre Matos was Rescue (2005). After the tour, in 2006, the frontman decided to leave the band, accompanied by the Mariutti brothers. The original lineup would only return in 2018 for a highly anticipated reunion tour after so long. Unfortunately, this series of shows was interrupted by the singer's sudden death on June 8, 2019.
The best of Andre Matos in Shaman: “Here I Am”, “Reason”, “Fairy Tale” and “Innocence”. The playlist with the musician's best work is available on Spotify or Deezer .
Andre Matos' projects: solo career, Avantasia and beyond
Andre Matos' career is best known for his work with VIPER, Angra, and Shaman, but the legacy of the Maestro of Rock is much more extensive. Among the musician's other projects,
Shortly after leaving Angra, Andre Matos embarked on a bold and surprising sonic adventure in the duo Virgo, formed alongside German musician Sascha Paeth . They met during their time in Angra, when Paeth worked as a producer and sound engineer on several of the band's albums, a role he would repeat in Shaman. The project's only release is their self-titled album, released in 2001. Andre Matos' best tracks with Virgo are: "Baby Doll" and "No Need To Have An Answer".
Andre Matos also had a solo career, which began after leaving Shaman, and includes three released albums: Time To Be Free (2007), Mentalize (2009) and The Turn of the Lights (2012). Top songs from Andre Matos' solo career: “Letting Go”, “Separate Ways (World Apart)”, “I Will Return”, “Powerstream” and “The Turn of The Lights”.
In 2010, Andre Matos became the frontman of a power metal supergroup called Symfonia , conceived alongside Timo Tolkki , former guitarist of the band Stratovarius. The band also included Jari Kainulainen (bass), Mikko Härkin (keyboards), and Uli Kusch (drums). The venture was short-lived, due to Timo's retirement, but they released an album called In Paradisum (2011).
Another side project of Andre Matos was his participation in the albums and tours of Avantasia , a band conceived by Tobias Sammet with the participation of some of the biggest names in power metal (or melodic metal) from all over the world. The voice of the Maestro of Rock is featured on the albums The Metal Opera and The Metal Opera Part II (2002) and The Wicked Symphony (2010).
To listen to the best songs from Andre Matos' career, listen to the playlist Andre Matos – Melhores do Maestro do Rock on Spotify using the player below or click here to listen on Deezer .
READ ALSO: Quiz: What do you know about Andre Matos?