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.
Kill The Varukers
Ratos De Porão Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have been listening to soldier boy,
Through all the 80s,
But i just met the Varukers,
Touring in 98
Kill the Varukers,another fucking crap(Refrão 2x)
Biff your motherfucker,Kevin is a twat!
-Refrào-(2x)
They comes to Brazil,another religion,another war:
Dirty bloody bastards,Iggy let is buy some cocaine!
-Refrão-(2x)
The lyrics to Ratos De Porão's song "Kill The Varukers" are a commentary on the punk music scene in the 1980s and 1990s. The lyrics reference the band Soldier Boy, which was popular in the 80s, but the singer of the song has now encountered the Varukers, who are touring in 1998. The refrain "Kill the Varukers, another fucking crap" expresses the singer's dissatisfaction with the band and the music they produce.
The song also takes aim at individual members of the Varukers, calling them out by name. Rat is described as an "old bastard," while Marvin is a "speedfreak" and Kevin is a "twat." These insults are likely intended as a form of punk posturing, with Ratos De Porão asserting their dominance within the scene by denigrating other bands.
The final verse of the song references the Varukers' visit to Brazil, and paints them as outsiders trying to drum up conflict and tension. The singer calls them "dirty bloody bastards" and references buying cocaine with Iggy, likely a reference to Iggy Pop, the godfather of punk.
Overall, "Kill The Varukers" is a raucous punk song that critiques other bands and asserts Ratos De Porão's own status within the scene.
Line by Line Meaning
Kill!
Expressing the desire to eliminate a certain subject
I have been listening to soldier boy, Through all the 80s, But i just met the Varukers, Touring in 98
Having followed a certain type of music for a long time until encountering the Varukers in 1998
Kill the Varukers,another fucking crap(Refrão 2x)
Stating the need to kill the Varukers and denouncing their music as undesirable
Rat is an old bastard,Marvin is a speedfreak, Biff your motherfucker,Kevin is a twat!
Using derogatory terms to describe different individuals associated with the Varukers
-Refrào-(2x)
Repeating the chorus again
They comes to Brazil,another religion,another war: Dirty bloody bastards,Iggy let is buy some cocaine!
Contemptuously referring to the Varukers visiting Brazil and using drugs
-Refrão-(2x)
Repeating the chorus one final time
Contributed by Sydney E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jozsefratkai9014
I was 20 when Ratos De Porao was my favorite band... now im 48 and still love these songs. Greetings from Hungary guys.
@HealthyDoseOfSelfDestruction
Ratos de Porão recorded this song just after the first Varukers tour in Brazil in 1999, when some so-called anarchopunks destroyed Varukers van in Belo Horizonte, blaming them for being "punk traitors". RDP was also accused of being "punk traitors" back in the 80's here in Brazil. That's why they made this ironic song for their friends of Varukers. Cheers!
@spacehcpcdeath2073
foda pra caralho emmmm !!!!!
@juice.giygas
Both kick ass!
@diogoalvesgianeri
no man! they are road friends!!!! the lyrics it´s extremely ironic....... rdp!!!! Our fucking best punk band!!!! Here we go, BraSil!!!!!!!!!!
@xmaxcorex
yo tambien quiero que alguien lo aclare ...
@anarchobands
ha ha great song!
@chromlech
WTF is this ending is in the original song?
@diogoalvesgianeri
i want to say this to our friend too! they are fucking road friends.....porra pq que eu to escrevendo em inglÊs.......
@declineofcivlization
@H20654 how is it homosexual,there is no men who are sexually attracted to each other?