RATOS DE PORÃO

JOÃO GORDO

Brazilian hardcore / thrash-legends Ratos De Porão (Cellar Rats in portoguese) or RxDxPx was formed back in 1981 and they was influenced by the upcoming UK hardcore scene and some scandinavian singles. Their debut album from 1983 called Crucificados Pelo Sistema is considered a classic in the field of hardcore punk music. In 1985 R.D.P. thrash metal swept in over São Paulo and R.D.P. was hooked on bands like Kreator, Exodus and Slayer. So Ratos De Porão started to developed a more metallic sound. Ratos De Porão was one of the first crossover bands that mixed hardcore punk with thrash metal. But in the 90's thrash metal declined and Ratos De Porão returned to their hardcore roots. I have spoken to vocalist João Gordo.

Ratos De Porão

We can begin with a small presentation of you and Ratos De Porão.

I am João Gordo, vocalist in Ratos De Porão for thirty years. RDP was formed in the suburb of Sao Paulo in 1981 during the military dictatorship. We have recorded sixteen albums and never stopped playing.

How was it to be signed to the famous Cogumelo label?

That was in 1987 when we recorded our third album. At the time we were very good friends of Sepultura and they were doing what was best for production in the underground scene.

Your released albums on many different labels, why? Didn't they support you well enough?

We are a Brazilian band and it has always been very difficult to keep things together, play shows and release albums and was always searching for the best deal for RDP. For over ten years we launched our records by Alternative Tentacles and for a band like us it's the best we could do.

Can you tell us about the influence thrash metal had on you in the mid 80's?

IN 1983, RDP was a hardcore punk band with punk influences from Sweden and Finland. Punk from UK and American HC. When suddenly my favorite bands inexplicably began to play METAL. Also big bands emerged as, Venom, Slayer, Metallica, Exodus that changed my life completely.

Brasil

You were called traitors when you started to experiment with metal?

It was before that. Punk in Brazil was too a step behind and they had no information. Our ideological vision was very rudimentary. In 1983 we talked to a fanzine that we didn't play punk rock but HARD CORE. That was enough to get the stigma that haunts us to this day.

Sepultura took you under their wings and helped you out. So you got signed to Roadrunner Records. How did you become friends?

We got the contract with Roadrunner Records by our own merits. Sepultura has never helped us at all. We did some shows together in the past but never did a tour together. After all, the world only existed for us "jungleboys" and the manager and wife of Max Cavalera destroyed our friendship forever.

Your first album on Roadrunner was 1989's Brasil. What do you think of that album in retrospect?

The album was produced by Harris Johns and recorded the music lab in Berlin. The guy had already produced Voivod, Tankard, Halloween. And for R.D.P. a poor third world punk band, it was a real leap in our music career. The disc is a classic Crossover album and influenced a lot of people especially in the Latin countries and Eastern Europe.

You were the first brazilian band to record abroad (in Germany). How was that experience?

We had never traveled outside of Brazil before, and that was an experience that really changed our lives both culturally and musically.

Anarkophobia

Tell us about your new album Século Sinistro.

After nearly eight years without recording anything, we independently recorded our best disc. Twelve songs that are retaining the style "core thrash metal brutal crust" that is characteristic of R.D.P. and a cover of ANTI-CIMEX. It's out worldwide by ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES.

What's the highlight of your career?

to be alive ... I'm a Survivor

What's your plans for the near future?

I'm 50, I'm obese, I want to see my grandchildren born in the next 15 years.

Have you got any funny story to tell, if anything weird has happened while touring or so?

do not remember much, but on the last tour we had to evacuate the hotel around 3 am because we smoked one joint below the fire alarm.

Any last words for our readers?

Be curious about the new RDP.

By/Ruthless

(17-04-2014)