Pit Passarell , founder of VIPER , died this Friday, the 27th, at the age of 56. The information was confirmed by friends and family. The bassist was battling pancreatic cancer and fell ill during a VIPER show at the end of August.
Well-known in the heavy metal scene, not only for composing most of VIPER's catalog, but also for the incredible charisma he always had with fans, for the bass lines he created, and for the success he achieved in the almost impossible task of taking over the band's vocals after Andre Matos' departure.
Born in Buenos Aires in 1968, Pit came to Brazil with his family when he was still a child. In 1985, at less than 17 years old, together with his brother Yves Passarell and his friend who lived in the same building, Felipe Machado , he founded VIPER.
With the addition of Andre Matos soon after, VIPER recorded the demo The Killera Sword in 1985, and in subsequent years the albums Soldiers of Sunrise (1987) and Theatre of Fate (1989). These two albums, which featured songs mostly composed by Pit Passarell, changed the history of heavy metal in Brazil and have influenced and continue to influence countless bands for over 35 years.
After Andre Matos left, Pit took over vocals on the albums Evolution (1992), Coma Rage (1994) and Tem Pra Todo Mundo (1996). Pit also sang on the EP Vipera Sapiens (1993) and the live album Maniacs in Japan (1993).
In the late 1990s, Pit began composing songs that transcended the boundaries of heavy metal. Several of these compositions were recorded by Capital Inicial and became huge hits throughout the country, such as "O Mundo," "Algum Dia," "Seus Olhos," "Instinto Selvagem," "Poucas Horas," "Depois da Meia-Noite," among others.
With VIPER, Pit continued composing most of the songs for the band's last two albums, All My Life (2007) and Timeless (2023). Pit also participated heavily in Andre Matos's comeback tour in 2012, which culminated in the release of the live album To Live Again – Live in São Paulo (2015).
In 2020, Wikimetal had the honor and pride of releasing Praticamente Nada , Pit Passarell's solo album featuring several compositions originally written for Capital Inicial, but sung and arranged by the bassist, in addition to other unreleased songs.
On September 27, 2024, Brazilian heavy metal lost its greatest composer. The entire Wikimetal team joins Pit Passarell's friends and family in this moment of grief, certain that his legacy will forever remain in the history of Brazilian music.
