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.
Mad Society
Ratos De Porão Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Voices insist on telling me I'm dead
Towards this mad society I'm no one
But I'm alive to fight against your clan
Back to mad society (4x)
I see only war and injustice in my way
I turn in my weapons against these pigs
Now my attitude is clear and made of revolt
Mad society, alienation
Brutal force, obliteration
Without money in your life
You'd better die
Paranoia, exploitation
Persecution, hallucination
No peace in your life
You'd better fight
Back to mad society (4x)
My head aches when I look around
Indifferent people go on with their lifes
They're part of this mad society
I feel lonely and my power is all gone
The lyrics to Ratos De Porão's song "Mad Society" speak of the frustration and despair of living in a society that is inherently mad or insane. The singer reflects on the voices in his head that tell him he is dead, a metaphorical representation of the overwhelming feeling of feeling powerless in a society that appears to be descending into chaos. The singer's frustration is palpable as he sees only war and injustice in his way, with the weaker members of society unable to react or stand up for themselves in the face of brutal force and exploitation.
The chorus of the song is a powerful statement that beckons the listener to confront the madness and alienation they feel in their daily lives. The singer's message is clear; the only way to survive in this mad society is to fight against it. He urges listeners to take up arms against those who seek to exploit and persecute, to stand up for what is right and just, and to never back down in the face of oppression. The lyrics are a call to arms for those who feel powerless, a rallying cry for the oppressed to rise up and fight back against their oppressors.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I listen to many voices in my head
I have conflicting thoughts running in my mind
Voices insist on telling me I'm dead
The voices in my head are urging me to believe that I am not alive
Towards this mad society I'm no one
I feel like a nobody in this insane world
But I'm alive to fight against your clan
I have the will to live and resist against your oppressive group
I see only war and injustice in my way
I perceive nothing but conflict and unfairness in my life
The weakers are losers and can't react
Those who are feeble are deemed inferior and incapable of standing up for themselves
I turn in my weapons against these pigs
I am renouncing violence but remain hostile towards oppressors
Now my attitude is clear and made of revolt
I have a distinctive and rebellious outlook on life
Mad society, alienation
This world is insane and I feel disconnected
Brutal force, obliteration
Violence and destruction is everywhere
Without money in your life
If you don't have financial stability
You'd better die
You might as well be dead
Paranoia, exploitation
There is widespread distrust and misuse of power
Persecution, hallucination
People are mistreated and delusions are common
No peace in your life
There is no tranquility in your existence
You'd better fight
You must resist
My head aches when I look around
I feel physical discomfort when I observe my surroundings
Indifferent people go on with their lifes
Others are apathetic and continue their everyday routines
They're part of this mad society
They are also contributors to this insane world
I feel lonely and my power is all gone
I am isolated and helpless
Contributed by Claire W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.