Apocalypse Brazilian Fan Club:
www.apocalypsefc.kit.net
Apocalypse Myspace:
www.myspace.com/apocalypsebr
The brazilian symphonic progressive rock band APOCALYPSE was formed in 1983 and was influenced by such bands as Genesis, Yes, Rush, and Marillion. Gustavo Demarchi(vocals/flute), Ruy Fritsch (guitar), Eloy Fritsch (keyboards), Magoo Wise (bass)and Chico Fasoli (drums) perform generally songs dominated by prominent keyboards and complex rhythms. The band spent the most part of their first decade winning awards in musical festivals but not recording. Their first album, Apocolypse (1991), brought them a European record contract and was notable for showcasing their ability to merge together quiet acoustic passages with more aggressive moments. Perto do Amanhecer followed in 1995, Aurora dos Sonhos in 1996, Lendas Encantadas in 1997, The Best of Apocalypse in 1998, Apocalypse Live in USA in 2000, Refuge in 2003 and Apocalypse Live in Rio was released in 2007.
From 1984 to 1988, the line-up changed several times. They recorded some demo tapes with the songs “Livre”, “Horizontes de Antimatéria”, “Aurora”, “Pássaros do Abismo”, “Besta do Mal”, “Delírio”, “Ancestral”, “Miragem” and “Apocalypse” and made live appearances with bands like Astaroth, Nenhum de Nós, Garotos da Rua and Vôo Livre. In 1989, Apocalypse won first place in a festival, playing for over 10.000 people, and recorded the song “Só Você” for the “1º Circuito de Rock” compilation. At the time of their first LP release, they interrupted the traffic in their town´s main street and gave a concert for over 2.000 people. Their Portuguese version for Marillion´s “Lavender” soon became a hit at the local radio, which led to a successfull tour in the south of the country. In 1992, the line-up stabilized with Eloy Fritsch (keyboards), Ruy Fritsch (guitar), Chico Fasoli (drums) and Chico Casara (bass, vocals). Brazilian progressive rock guru Dario Axelrud was quite impressed by the band´s sound and style during their first LP release concert and got in contact with the French label Musea, suggesting they signed the band. What seemed impossible for a band from a small town became a reality – Apocalypse was now signed to Musea, the most prestigious progressive rock label in the world.
It took Apocalypse two years to record "Perto do Amanhecer", which was released in France in 1995. The good reviews from abroad soon started to arrive, which led to a rise in the band´s popularity and another invitation from Musea, this time for the compilation "Le Melleur du Progressif Instrumental". This CD was edited in the end of 1995 with several European bands and Apocalypse representing Brazil. With its baroque influences and a beautiful interplay of minimoog and guitar solos, the chosen song was “Notre Dame”.
In their following álbum, “Aurora dos Sonhos”, Apocalypse created several progressive rock masterpieces, such as "Do Outro Lado da Vida" and "Vindo das Estrelas", both of them complex and long tracks in the best prog tradition. “Aurora dos Sonhos” was again released in France by Musea and was hailed as a great album by many progressive rock magazines around the globe. At this time, the band was receiving fan mail from places like Holanda, Coréia, França, EUA, Chile and Japão, among others. With songs dealing with themes such as the conservation of nature, science fiction and spirituality, Apocalypse conquered a precious public in other countries, fans who were deeply in love with their music. In 1997, the musicians decide that some of compositions from their first LP should be salvaged and therefore release them in the “Lendas Encantadas" CD, together with three new songs. Aiming to promote progressive rock in their region, they organize, together with the City Council, the First Rio Grande do Sul Progressive Rock Festival. There were over 1500 people at the Auditório Araújo Viana Theater and the show was made into a TV special show, aired on the public TV channel.
In 1998, the band was invited to play at the greatest music festival in Southern Brazil, the Planeta Atlântida festival. After this show, they signed with Atração, a label from São Paulo, and released a CD entitled "The Best of Apocalypse", with tracks from their French CDs in the hope that this would make the band more known in their home country. To promote this CD, they decided they should tour other parts of Brazil. In April, they are invited by the Rock Symphony label and travel to Rio de Janeiro to take part in the Rio ArtRock Festival third edition, playing together with Tempus Fugit and English band Pendragon at the Teatro João Caetano. One year later, in 1999, they are invited to play in the USA, at the longest running progressive rock festival in the world: Progday. This show would make history, because it was the first time a Brazilian band recorded a show in the USA for a CD release
After their appearance at Progday, the festival producers sent the band all the recordings. The band went through the material and was quite impressed with the recording quality. It was decided that “Live in USA" should be released as a double CD with a CD-ROM track containing a videoclip and a gorgeous booklet with many photographs from the US trip.
The CD saw the light of day in 2000 and Rock Symphony took over the distribution. One year later, another important concert: Apocalypse plays for over 2.000 people at the Parque da Redenção, in Porto Alegre, and the show is aired regionally on TVE TV station. New track “Refúgio” is featured at the same year in a compilation by Spanish magazine Margen, as part of the struggle to promote the new CD. The band keeps at work, recording studio versions for “América do Sul”, “Tocatta” and “ProgJazz” and contributes 3 tracks to the ProgDay Box Set “Encore?” – a limited commemorative multiple-CD box with all the bands that ever graced this progressive rock festival, Glass Hammer, Arsnova and Discipline being some of them.
The CD “Refúgio” is released in 2003 by the Rock Symphony and Musea labels with new tracks such as “Viagem no Tempo”, “Amazônia”, “Lembranças Eternas”, “Refúgio”, “Liberdade”, “Terceiro Milênio” and the epic “Cachoeira das Águas Douradas”. As a bonus, it also includes two songs from the “Live in USA” double CD. Coming 2004, Chico Casara (vocal and bass) leaves Apocalypse, and the other musicians decide to go on with a new line-up.
Singer Gustavo Demarchi and bass player Magoo Wise are invited to join the band. Apocalypse takes on a new project: to record some of their old hits in English and also to start writing in the new language. With the musicians separated in different towns, the band chooses to have two rehearsal studios, one in each town. First offspring of this new formation is the EP “Magic – The Radio Edits”, in which Apocalypse presents English versions of some of their more well known songs. The EP, released only as a promotional item for the radios, was made fully available for the fans to download in the band´s website. In 2005, they start in Porto Alegre the “Magic Tour”, which has the band performing most of their repertoire in the new English versions. These months will see a lot of live activity both in Porto Alegre and smaller towns, not mentioning several appearances at TV and radio shows and newspaper interviews. There´s a very positive feedback from both public and media to the band´s new approach, with the special addition of Gustavo´s flute in songs like “Refuge” and “Tears”. In September 2005, Apocalypse is invited to another festival in Rio, this time the Rock Symphony For The Record festival at the Teatro Municipal de Niterói, Rio de Janeiro. The band´s concert, on September 8th, was taped for posterity and is presented here in this DVD, released by the Rock Symphony label together with their old friends from Musea. After this show, the band made yet another appearance in Rio, in 2006, playing together with English band Uriah Heep at the Canecão as part of the Rock in Concert Brazil Festival.
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