Gus Monsanto

Biography

Monsanto's passion for music was sparked when he first saw KISS on TV in 1983. The image of four masked hairy rocking on top of a tank was fascinating, and unlike anything I had seen before. His fate, arm in arm with the music, was sealed. Soon after came the first guitar bands with fellow childhood and adolescence and the discovery that music was the goal of his life.

At 16, Monsanto lived in the United States, where the idea has matured to assemble your own band seriously because by now composed his first songs and knew their best musical identity and style that would follow. Back in Brazil, rode Angel Heart, a hard rock band who led for a few years. This banda, Monsanto swapped the guitar through the microphone, which is still their main working tool. During the '90s, the band recorded two albums, had a clip aired on MTV Brazil, and a good impact in the specialized media in Brazil and some other countries with good reviews in magazines from countries like Italy and Japan, in addition to its disc played on the radio.

In the mid 90s, Monsanto had the invitation to integrate with Overdose, one of heavy metal bands Brazil's most traditional, and which were a fan. His first show with the band took place in Mineirão in Belo Horizonte, opening for Whitesnake, Megadeth and Queensryche. Monsanto rated this show as a unique experience, where he had contact with the first step of hard rock world. In the formation of Overdose - who had 7 albums released in Brazil and abroad - also featured former Sepultura guitarist, Jairo Guedz.

After the end of Overdose, Monsanto had a brief passage by heavy metal band from São Paulo Portrait, with which makes several shows, including the first festival BRAZIL METAL UNION, which is now a traditional event public fan of the genre. At that time, came to mind of Monsanto back to the States and start a band abroad.

In 2001, Monsanto joined the guitarist and vocalist Marc Ferreira, one of his best friends and the trio MONKEY BITE, they do many shows by the U.S., reaching open for bands like Ratt, traditional American hard rock band. The Monkey Bite - which is an ongoing project and which eventually participates Monsanto - played in Brazil in 2003, containing in its formation bassist Firehouse, Dario Seixas.

In 2002, Monsanto receives proposal from other Brazilian bands such as Silent Rio, São Paulo and the Frontline Records label, which sought musicians to form a band called Astra. The project took two years of his career, a very hard and wear a disappointment so great that Monsanto did admit the possibility of giving up the dream to continue making music.

But when all seemed lost, Monsanto sees the announcement of banda French Adagio, which featured one of his favorite singers, David Readman (PINK CREAM 69). David had just left the band, which was seeking a replacement immediately. Half curious, half for refusing to believe that was the end of the line, Monsanto had his material. However, for geographical reasons, even he did not expect a return. Then came the surprise: he receives an email from Adagio entrepreneurs interested in learning more about Monsanto, and asking and learn regravasse vocals in two songs from Adagio. In 48 hours, he learned the songs and recorded the material sent to the French. The result could not have been better: an invitation to live in France and join the band.

Just twenty days later, Monsanto landed in Paris where he would begin a new and decisive step in his career. Immediately, he joined the band, which concluded the tour CD "Underworld", from the U.S., Switzerland, Spain, Holland and France, with considerable success, performing at various festivals, among which the U.S. versions and the European Prog Power, one of the biggest events in the world of heavy metal world, sharing the stage with names like Edguy, Savatage and Devin Townsend.

The year 2005 is dedicated to the stage and the studio. Monsanto made his first season of 40 shows in the summer with the French troupe Cocktail de Nuit (with whom he toured France every summer since then, totaling almost 300 shows). After intense pre-production, writes "Dominate", their first CD with the Adagio, which was released in December 2005. In addition, 2005 also marked another participation in Monsanto banda Monkey Bite, with whom he made several shows in New York and New Jersey.

The year 2006 is spent on promoting the CD "Dominate", which was released worldwide by Locomotive Records (Europe / North America), Hellion Records (Brazil), Double Vision (France) Avalon / Marquee (Asia). The first show of the tour takes the band to Africa for the first time, where they open for the legendary Robert Plant, former Led Zeppelin in Tunisia. The band shared the stage with former guitarist of the Scorpions and Electric Sun Uli Jon Roth, Edguy, Mattias Eklundh (Freak Kitchen), Leaves Eyes, Epica and other big bands in Europe. The band plays at the Salon de Musique, one of mùaiores fairs musical instruments in the world, with the largest audience the show.

The new year of 2006/2007 brings a great show after New Year's Eve in France, recording disco banda French Lightseekers and Monsanto starts recording vocals next disc Adagio, "Archangels in Black", at the same time. They return to Tunisia, with Firewind and Portugal, with Destruction and Primal Fear. plus a tour, opening for the band Kamelot would be the last work of Monsanto and Adagio together.

Begins an intense pace of investments in disks of various bands, as Dr.Sin and Venturia, in addition to producing the album the band Skyrion, launched in Brazil and Europe in 2008. This album was also produced by Alex Macedo, a super guitarist and sound engineer, who made the project Zyon Vega with Monsanto, that was recorded in the same period, but remains unpublished to this day.

After the departure of the Adagio, in 2008, Monsanto engages in two papers: 1 -) It is the lead singer of Takara, which replaces the renowned Jeff Scott Soto, singer of Journey and Yngwie Malmsteen, recording "Invitation to Forever", in Los Angeles in May this year, with the kitchen of Yngwie Malmsteen. 2 -) is between 400 singers chosen to be the lead singer of the band Revolution Renaissance, led by Finnish guitarist Timo Tolkki, which sold 3 million records with Stratovarius. Another Brazilian part of the contract, drummer Bruno Agra, which was part of Zyon Vega with Monsanto.

With Timo, Monsanto writes two Cds "Age of Aquarius", released in 2009 and "Trinity" in 2010, in addition to touring across South America

The partnership ends in 2010 and Monsanto is preparing its next sounds. Wait!

Influences

Monsanto always says there are two kinds of music: good and bad. Everything influences directly or indirectly. Some of his favorite artists are beyond the aforementioned Kiss, Iron Maiden, Van Halen, AC / DC, Dokken, Queensryche, Dream Theater, King's X, Jellyfish, Judas Priest, Whitesnake, Glenn Hughes, Goo Goo Dolls, among thousands of others who have been and are a significant impact on his music.