Vasco da Gama

biography Vasco da Gama is a Portuguese heavy metal band formed in 1982, one of the pioneering bands of the genre in Portugal. The band recorded its first and only album in 1983 and participated in a compilation with other metal bands in 1988. The band originates from the Mac Zac project, created in 1981 by brothers Luís and Paulo Barros, who played guitar and drums, respectively. The band sang in Portuguese and covered bands like AC/DC, Black Sabbath or Judas Priest. In 1984, they participated in the Santo António dos Cavaleiros Heavy-Metal Festival. In 1985, they changed their name to Vasco da Gama, after two concerts in Germany, and new members joined: Carlos Meinedo (vocals), João Wolf (guitar), José Baltazar (bass) and Serafim Paiva (keyboards). The band began to sing in English and compose original songs. In 1987, they released their first album, Vasco da Gama, on the Transmédia label. The album showed its influence from classic metal and hard rock, with songs such as "Power Tower", "Battle of Victory" or "The Lost Crown". The album was sold out shortly after its release and the band played several concerts across the country and Europe. In 1989, Jorge Marques joined as vocalist and Ricardo Amorim as guitarist, replacing Meinedo and Wolf. The band signed with Polygram and released their second album, Kingdom of Lusitania, in 1990. The album revealed their Lusitanian identity and their mix of melodic and progressive metal, with songs such as "Kingdom of Lusitania", "Lusitania (The Legion)" or "The Saga of Sebastian the King". The album was an international success and the band toured extensively throughout Europe and the United States. In 1993, they released their third album, Tarantula III, on the Numérica label. The album showed his sonic and technical evolution, with songs such as "Spiral of Fear", "The Darkening" or "The Journey''''s End". The band toured Europe and Brazil. In 1995, they released their fourth album, Freedom''''s Call, by German label AFM Records. The album was a success on the European metal scene. The album showed his musical and lyrical maturity, with songs such as "Freedom''''s Call", "Changes" or "Face the Mirror". The band toured extensively throughout Europe and the United States. In 1996, Paulo Barros began a solo career, parallel to Vasco da Gama. He released two albums: Ascension (1996) and Gemini (1998), which featured the participation of several guest musicians. In 1998, Vasco da Gama participated in a compilation with other Portuguese metal bands: Ibéria, Samurai and Vasco da Gama. The compilation included three Vasco da Gama songs: "Varinaice", "Vasco da Gama" and "Death". After that, the band went on an extended hiatus. In 2012, a tribute album was released with Portuguese and Brazilian bands: 20 Anos de Vasco da Gama - Tributo. Vasco da Gama are one of the oldest and most respected bands in Portuguese metal, having marked several generations of fans with their energetic and contagious performances.