Their first album was released in 1983 and was titled Crucificados pelo sistema. Released on the Ataque Frontal label, it was one of the best-selling hardcore albums to come out of the country, and was soon considered a punk classic worldwide. The line up was João Gordo (vocals), Mingau (guitar – later in many punk and pop bands in Brazil, currently playing in Ultraje a Rigor), Jabá (bass) and Jão (drums). Soon after, with the fall of the São Paulo punk scene (because of associated gang violence), the band split up and since then João Gordo has been accused of selling out and betraying the DIY ethics of the hardcore punk movement for several alleged reasons; he has said, "I'm a traitor since 1983, because I told the guys I played hardcore, not punk. Then, I got labelled.(...)That's a stigma".[1]
Initial crossover thrash era
In 1985, RxDxPx came back, but with a different line up and sound. They brought thrash metal to their music, influenced by bands such as Slayer, Exodus, Kreator and hardcore bands around the world that were also transitioning to a more thrash metal sound, like Suicidal Tendencies, D.R.I., English Dogs, Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front and others (including Brazilian bands such as Lobotomia and Armagedom). Jão switched over to playing guitar, and an old punk named Spaghetti (who later adopted a thrash metal sound) replaced him on drums. Subsequently, they released the Descanse Em Paz album on Baratos Afins in 1986.
With their new sound, they began to associate more with heavy metal bands, becoming friends with longtime RxDxPx fans Sepultura and other bands of the Brazilian 1980s metal scene, including Korzus and Anthares. Their next studio release with Baratos Afins Records, 1987's Cada Dia Mais Sujo e Agressivo, was also released in an English-language version (Dirty and Aggressive) (the band feared that their English was so grammatically inaccurate that many of their native English speaking fans might ridicule their translated lyrics).[citation needed] This release continued the band's D-beat drum tempos.
In 1989, they signed to Roadrunner Records at the urging of Igor Cavalera of Sepultura, who played one of the band's tapes for the label's executives. RxDxPx then went to Germany to record their next studio LP, Brasil. With Harris Johns of Voivod and Tankard producing, the band's production quality improved substantially in contrast to their previous releases; the instrumentation was noticeably more technical.
In 1990, they returned to Germany to record their last album with the 'classic' line-up of João Gordo, Jão, Jabá and Spaghetti. With Harris Johns acting again as producer, their next album titled Anarkophobia was met with criticism by some fans for being the band's most metallic release to date, having considerably more complex and lengthy song compositions and more technical musicianship. Nevertheless, Anarkophobia increased their profile within the worldwide metal scene of the early 1990s.
But in mid-1991, they had their first line-up change in years, with Spaghetti leaving the band, citing that he had "been tired of the musical life".[citation needed] They auditioned several drummers to replace him, including Beto Silesci from Korzus, but the band decided that Silesci's style was too metal for the new direction they were planning to pursue. Silesci was in turn replaced with Boka of the Santos Beach thrash/death metal band Psychic Possessor. In 1992, RxDxPx released its first official live album, called Ao Vivo, with a corresponding music video for the song "Aids, Pop, Repressão" receiving heavy air play on Furia Metal of MTV (the Brazilian equivalent of Headbangers Ball).
At the decline of the thrash scene, under tension and personal problems (Jabá left the band and they had a heavy drug problem), they entered into the studio in 1994 to record their only 'all lyrics in English' album, called Just Another Crime In Massacreland. The album suffered a thin production and a low promotion by the label, and it was a hard time in the life of RxDxPx.[citation needed]
Return to hardcore punk
After the departure of Jabá, the band had several different bass players and recorded a studio album with only punk and hardcore covers called Feijoada Acidente?, a play on the Guns N' Roses album "The Spaghetti Incident?". (Feijoada is a traditional food from Brazil, a stew based on beans and pork.) There were two versions of this album: one covering only Brazilian bands such as Olho Seco, Lobotomia, Garotos Podres, among others; and one covering only non-Brazilian bands such as G.B.H., Black Flag, Anti-Cimex, Minor Threat, among others. At this time, Walter Bart (who used to play in a punk band called "Não Religião") and "Pica Pau" (Portuguese for woodpecker), who stayed in the band until 1999, played bass.
Released in 1997, Carniceria Tropical marked a return to hardcore and Portuguese lyrics, and the band regained their former success. The same year, João Gordo started to work as a VJ for MTV Brasil.
In 1999, the bassist Cristian "Fralda", who used to play in the punk rock band Blind Pigs joined the band, and they entered into the studio to re-record their first album, and called this album Sistemados Pelo Crucifa (a play on the original album title, "Crucificados Pelo Sistema"). The front cover was designed by the Korzus bassist, Dick Siebert.
Return to crossover
In 2002, they released the Onisciente Coletivo album, and came back to be more friendly with thrash metal, mixing the 1980s with 1990s faces. The bassist Cristian "Fralda" left to join the old hardcore/crossover/thrash band Lobotomia. In his place entered an old underground musician, the bass player Paulo Júnior, who still plays with his hardcore band called "Discarga" and guitarist of "Point of no Return".
In 2006, they released Homem Inimigo Do Homem.
On 13 August 2013, Ratos de Porão announced on their Facebook page that they were working on a new album. Entitled Século Sinistro, the album was released on 27 May 2014.
Another eight years passed until the release of their upcoming eighth studio album, Necropolítica, on May 20, 2022.
Crianças Sem Futuro
Ratos De Porão Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Umas morrem de doença, outras de inanição
Agora a etiópia está com inveja do brasil
Ganhamos em pobreza e mortalidade infantil
Não!! Eu não sei
Eu não sei de nada!
Temos aqui também um "xou" de alienação
A gostosinha da tv que ganha grana de montão
Vai ganhando seus milhões vendendo merda reciclada
Eu não sei
Eu não sei de nada.
Qual será o futuro das crianças do brasil?
Só de aids esse ano já morreram mais de mil
Mas nosso governo finge que não vê
Seus filhos estão seguros
Eles vão sobreviver.
The lyrics of Ratos De Porão's song Crianças Sem Futuro highlights the sad reality of the impoverished and vulnerable children in Brazil. The lyrics point out how children are dying in Brazil due to diseases and malnutrition, and some are even dying due to AIDS. The country's high mortality rate among children is alarming and puts them in a position that seems to have uncertain futures. Furthermore, the lyrics draw comparisons to the situation of Ethiopia, which was then dealing with famine and how Brazil was leading in infant mortality rates.
The song also mentions the entertainment industry as a means of alienating the masses, portraying people who are successful and wealthy for their conformity and mediocrity. It mentions the love of Ronald Mcdonald's character, who is a hero to children but is notorious for selling processed food, which could pose risks to one's health.
The song then concludes with questioning what the future holds for the children in Brazil while also pointing out the government's ignorance towards the situation. Despite the high mortality rate in the country, the government neglects the issues that could have otherwise been addressed, affecting children’s safety and survival.
Line by Line Meaning
Temos crianças mortas para exportação
There are deceased children exported from this place
Umas morrem de doença, outras de inanição
Some die due to illness, while others succumb to starvation
Agora a etiópia está com inveja do brasil
Ethiopia now envies Brazil's conditions
Ganhamos em pobreza e mortalidade infantil
We win in terms of poverty and infant mortality
Não!! Eu não sei
No!! I don't know
Eu não sei de nada!
I don't know anything at all!
Temos aqui também um 'xou' de alienação
There's also a show here that promotes alienation
A gostosinha da tv que ganha grana de montão
The cute TV host earning loads of cash
Ronald mac donald's herói da molecada
Ronald MacDonald is the kids' hero
Vai ganhando seus milhões vendendo merda reciclada
He's earning his millions selling recycled sh*t
Qual será o futuro das crianças do brasil?
What will be the future of Brazil's children?
Só de aids esse ano já morreram mais de mil
Just this year, over a thousand have died of AIDS
Mas nosso governo finge que não vê
But our government pretends not to see
Seus filhos estão seguros
Their own children are safe
Eles vão sobreviver.
They will survive.
Contributed by Caden G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.