Text by Marcelo Gomes
Last weekend, São Paulo hosted an event that many Brazilian metal fans had been eagerly awaiting: Viper performing their iconic album Theatre Of Fate in its entirety.
The show took place at Sesc Avenida Paulista and tickets sold out in less than an hour. No wonder, after all, it was a celebration of 35 years of a landmark in the history of Brazilian heavy metal.
As soon as the album's intro, "Illusions," began, fans stepped into a time machine and were transported to a magical era of Brazilian metal. Felipe Machado (guitar), Pit Passarell (bass), Guilherme Martin (drums), Leandro Caçoilo (vocals), and Kiko Shred (guitar) were responsible for providing this historical and nostalgic journey.
The powerful “At Least A Chance” opened the show, preparing the audience for an epic night. Incidentally, it's a rare track to see at Viper shows and it worked very well live. “To Live Again” followed, demonstrating that the band is super sharp to celebrate this moment. The fans seemed to be in a theater, appreciating every detail of the performance.
Even without the element of surprise, since they followed the album's order, nothing diminished the emotion of hearing these classics that are part of so many people's lives. An example of this was when the first chords of "A Cry From The Edge" began and the fans sang along to the memorable opening solo.
A highlight was the final high note from Caçoilo, which certainly honored the beloved voice of the great Andre Matos . And what about the mega-classic, "Living For The Night"? It's a historical treasure of Brazilian heavy metal. Every word of the lyrics was sung, creating a beautiful chorus at Sesc.
Vocalist Leandro reminded everyone that the next song was Pit Passarell's favorite. It was time for "Prelude To Oblivion." Another one of those songs that keeps the energy high and served as a bridge to what was to come, the title track "Theatre Of Fate," the longest on the album, like a true epic in which guitarists Felipe Machado and Kiko Shred stood out in their duets while Guilherme Martin pounded the drums.
Dedicated to the Maestro, “Moonlight” closed the first act. The song, an adaptation of Beethoven ,” brought the drama and grandeur of its arrangements to a moving performance. It also featured Roberto Gutierrez ( Hollowmind ) on bass. Interestingly, according to the documentary Andre Matos – Maestro do Rock (2021), by director Anderson Bellini , the track was responsible for launching Viper's career in Japan.
The second act began with the fantastic "Timeless" from the self-titled 2023 album. A journey from nostalgia to the new, as only Viper knows how to do. The warm reception validated this new phase for the band. For those unfamiliar, the track maintains the essence that made the band famous with a more modern touch.
From the Pit era, “Evolution”, with him singing the first part, as well as in “Coma Rage”, the most punk song on the setlist, which saw the return of Gutierrez on bass. But before playing the latter, vocalist Leandro Caçoilo remembered that Felipe Machado would be celebrating his birthday the following day, the 4th, and led a very enthusiastic “Happy Birthday” song with the band joining in, in honor of the guitarist who gave a beautiful speech and thanked everyone.
This new phase with Leandro Caçoilo and Kiko Shred gave the band a boost of energy. The result was the album Timeless (2023), which received excellent reviews from specialized media. Taking advantage of this excellent phase, they released two more new songs, “Freedom Of Speech” and “Under The Sun”. Incidentally, what a great feeling to see the revitalized band releasing such good material after so long.
To keep everyone on their feet, they played "Rebel Maniac" with that catchy chorus that everyone shouted along to, and said goodbye with "HR," the first song the band composed in 1984.
The 35th anniversary celebration of Theatre Of Fate was not just a commemoration of a date and/or an album, but a celebration of a milestone in the history of Brazilian heavy metal that propelled the band to another level, opening doors not only for an international career but also enabling the emergence of Angra , Shaman , Noturnall , and solo careers that definitely had their beginnings in Viperverso.
The presentation respected the legacy without forgetting the present, in a thrilling performance. The good news was the announcement that they will continue with this celebration, which is simply unmissable!
