Shaman is a Brazilian
progressive
Progressive may refer to:
Politics
* Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform
** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context
* Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...
and
power metal
Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...
band assembled in 2000 by three musicians who left the band
Angra –
Andre Matos
Andre Coelho Matos (14 September 1971 – 8 June 2019) was a Brazilian singer and musician. He was involved in the heavy metal bands Viper, Angra, Shaman and Symfonia. Since 2006, Matos had been dedicating his time to his solo career. In 201 ...
, Luis Mariutti and
Ricardo Confessori
Ricardo Confessori (born January 25, 1969) is a Brazilian drummer and a former member of the Brazilian power metal band Angra.
After leaving the Brazilian thrash metal band Korzus, Confessori was invited for assume the post of drummer of Angra ...
.
The band was completed with guitar player
Hugo Mariutti
Hugo Mariutti (born 18 December 1975) is a Brazilian musician, best known as the guitarist of Henceforth, Viper and Andre Matos' solo band and also as the guitarist of Shaman, in which he plays with his brother Luis Mariutti, who is also the fo ...
(Luis' younger brother – both of them also play in another band called
Henceforth
Henceforth is a Brazilian progressive metal band. Formed in 1993, they released their first album in Brazil in December 2005 via Voice Music (label owned by Silvio Golfetti, guitar player in the Brazilian thrash metal band Korzus). The current l ...
).
Shaman changed its name to Shaaman due to legal reasons, but the issue was solved and they renamed it back to Shaman.
In October 2006, Andre Matos officially left the band along with the Mariutti brothers.
Confessori reformed the band with a new line-up featuring Thiago Bianchi on vocals, Léo Mancini on guitars, Fernando Quesada on bass and Junior Carelli on keyboards. They recorded two albums as Shaman and did the touring cycles before Confessori decided to leave the recordings of a third album in which the rest of the band decided to move on with Hangar and former Angra drummer
Aquiles Priester
Aquiles Priester (born June 25, 1971) is a Namibian-born Brazilian drummer. He is currently the drummer of Brazilian power metal band Hangar, and progressive metal bands Midas Fate and Noturnall. As a tour drummer, Priester has played with Paul ...
and use the name Noturnall instead of Shaman.
On 29 June 2018, Shaman announced a reunion of their original lineup to tour in celebration of their 17th anniversary, which was interrupted with the unexpected death of the vocalist
Andre Matos
Andre Coelho Matos (14 September 1971 – 8 June 2019) was a Brazilian singer and musician. He was involved in the heavy metal bands Viper, Angra, Shaman and Symfonia. Since 2006, Matos had been dedicating his time to his solo career. In 201 ...
, on 8 June 2019.
Biography
The band was formed in mid-2000, when musicians
Andre Matos
Andre Coelho Matos (14 September 1971 – 8 June 2019) was a Brazilian singer and musician. He was involved in the heavy metal bands Viper, Angra, Shaman and Symfonia. Since 2006, Matos had been dedicating his time to his solo career. In 201 ...
(vocals, keyboards, ex-
Viper
The Viperidae (vipers) are a family of snakes found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipers), hinged fangs tha ...
), Luis Mariutti (bass, ex-Firebox) and
Ricardo Confessori
Ricardo Confessori (born January 25, 1969) is a Brazilian drummer and a former member of the Brazilian power metal band Angra.
After leaving the Brazilian thrash metal band Korzus, Confessori was invited for assume the post of drummer of Angra ...
(drums, ex-
Korzus
Korzus is a Brazilian thrash metal band formed in São Paulo in 1983. They are one of the first bands of the Brazilian thrash metal scene, along with bands like Sarcófago and Sepultura. Their first release was issued in the seminal metal compi ...
) left the band
Angra.
At the time the band was assembled, they did not have a guitarist, so
Hugo Mariutti
Hugo Mariutti (born 18 December 1975) is a Brazilian musician, best known as the guitarist of Henceforth, Viper and Andre Matos' solo band and also as the guitarist of Shaman, in which he plays with his brother Luis Mariutti, who is also the fo ...
, formerly of Henceforth, was initially hired to assist in the compositions. Later they permanently integrated him into the band.
The name chosen for the band, Shaman, refers to the religious practice of
shamanism
Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a Spirit world (Spiritualism), spirit world through Altered state of consciousness, altered states of consciousness, such as tranc ...
, with the word "shaman" generally thought to be of
Siberia
Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
n origin.
They started an initial tour, which went through Europe and Latin America (specifically: France, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Brazil). For live keyboards the band requested the help of musician Fábio Ribeiro (Blezqi Zatsaz, ex-Angra).
Mixing heavy metal,
classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...
and
world music, the band started recording their debut album, entitled ''
Ritual
A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, b ...
'', in January 2002.
The disc was entirely recorded in Germany,
with the exception of a few tracks which were recorded in Brazil and the US. The production was managed by the producer
Sascha Paeth
Sascha Paeth (born 9 September 1970 in Wolfsburg, West Germany) is a German guitarist, bassist, musical producer, and mixer known for working with heavy metal bands such as Avantasia, Edguy, Angra, Shaaman, Rhapsody of Fire, Kamelot, After For ...
, who also produced albums for Angra,
Edguy
Edguy is a heavy metal band formed in Fulda, Germany in 1992.
History Demos, AFM years (1992–2003)
Edguy was founded in 1992 by 14-year-old students Tobias Sammet, Jens Ludwig, Dominik Storch and Dirk Sauer. The name "Edguy" was an affecti ...
,
Rhapsody of Fire
Rhapsody of Fire (formerly known as Rhapsody) is an Italian symphonic power metal band formed by Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli, widely seen as a pioneer of the symphonic power metal subgenre.
Since forming in 1993 as Thundercross, the band h ...
and Virgo and with co-production of Phil Colodetti.
''Ritual'' was released in more than 15 countries. The World Ritual Tour lasted for one year and a half, touring in such places as: Brazil, Asia, Latin America and Europe. There were over 150 shows at that time, some presented twice in the same place.
During 2003, Shaman were among the first place slots for Brazil, with ''Ritual'' being awarded the best album of 2002 and 2004 by the readers of
Folha de S. Paulo
''Folha de S.Paulo'' (sometimes spelled ''Folha de São Paulo''), also known as simply ''Folha'' (, ''Sheet''), is a Brazilian daily newspaper founded in 1921 under the name ''Folha da Noite'' and published in São Paulo by the Folha da Manhã co ...
, a Brazilian newspaper. Later in 2004, the band opened for
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
's show in
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
, playing to an audience of over 45,000.
The band then recorded a live show in the
Credicard Hall with the participation of several special guests such as
Tobias Sammet
Tobias Sammet (born 21 November 1977) is a German musician, singer, songwriter, music producer and radio host best known for being the singer and primary songwriter of the power metal band Edguy, and the founder of the metal opera project Avant ...
, Marcus Viana,
Andi Deris
Andreas "Andi" Deris (born 18 August 1964) is a German singer, best known as the lead vocalist of the power metal band Helloween, and co-founder and former lead singer of the metal band Pink Cream 69.
Singing style
Deris has a high baritone ...
,
Sascha Paeth
Sascha Paeth (born 9 September 1970 in Wolfsburg, West Germany) is a German guitarist, bassist, musical producer, and mixer known for working with heavy metal bands such as Avantasia, Edguy, Angra, Shaaman, Rhapsody of Fire, Kamelot, After For ...
, George Mouzayek and
Michael Weikath
Michael Ingo Joachim "Weiki" Weikath (born 7 August 1962) is a German musician, best known as a founding member and one of the guitarists of pioneering power metal band Helloween.
Biography
Weikath was born in Hamburg and was musical from a ...
. The show was then released on CD and DVD, entitled ''
RituAlive'' in 2003.
The engineering and mixing was done entirely at The Creative Studios in São Paulo, Brazil and the production was done by Phil Colodetti together with the Shaman members. According to director of Universal Music of Brazil, ''RituAlive'' is still the best DVD of its genre due to its quality and contents.
In 2005, with the second album almost completed and ready to release, they decided to rename the album to avoid a court hearing by another band. The band also decided to add an 'A' to its name as Shaaman. The name change occurred after another band named Shaman was consulted and specified that the meaning and pronunciation of the name were still the same.
In May 2005, the new album, entitled ''
Reason
Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, ...
'', was released.
''Reason'' was mixed in Germany by the producer Sascha Paeth and recorded in Brazil by Phil Colodetti at Creative Studios.
It attempted to return the feeling and spirit of 80s heavy metal. Their first single, named "Innocence" from the ''Reason'' was played on radio stations and further split the official charts of the highest-charting songs in Brazil. The video for the song also appeared on music TV channels.
Shaman then went on a hiatus which was confirmed on 12 October 2006, when a statement by bass player Luís Mariutti was released on the fansite For Tomorrow that "the band had called it a day."
Ricardo Confessori, the only remaining member of Shaman, decided to continue the band with a new line-up. Later, in 2007, the album ''Immortal'', was released.
In 2013, all members but Confessori formed a new band called Noturnall. On a 2014 interview, guitarist Fernando Quesada confirmed none of the members would return to Shaman.
On 29 June 2018 Shaman announced a reunion of their original lineup to tour in celebration of their 17th Anniversary with two shows in Sao Paulo. After some weeks, a tour was announced for Brasília, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, Manaus, Fortaleza and Recife. They toured until 2 June 2019, with
Avantasia
Avantasia is a German supergroup metal opera project created by Tobias Sammet, vocalist of the band Edguy. It has been characterized as a rock opera, as it features the contributions of various vocalists and musicians and it consists of concept ...
.
The tour was interrupted with the unexpected death of the vocalist
Andre Matos
Andre Coelho Matos (14 September 1971 – 8 June 2019) was a Brazilian singer and musician. He was involved in the heavy metal bands Viper, Angra, Shaman and Symfonia. Since 2006, Matos had been dedicating his time to his solo career. In 201 ...
, on 8 June 2019.
Line-up
;Current members
*
Ricardo Confessori
Ricardo Confessori (born January 25, 1969) is a Brazilian drummer and a former member of the Brazilian power metal band Angra.
After leaving the Brazilian thrash metal band Korzus, Confessori was invited for assume the post of drummer of Angra ...
– drums (2000–present)
* Luis Mariutti – bass (2000–2006, 2018–present)
*
Hugo Mariutti
Hugo Mariutti (born 18 December 1975) is a Brazilian musician, best known as the guitarist of Henceforth, Viper and Andre Matos' solo band and also as the guitarist of Shaman, in which he plays with his brother Luis Mariutti, who is also the fo ...
– guitar (2000–2006, 2018–present)
* Alirio Netto – vocals (2019–present)
* Fábio Ribeiro – keyboards (2000–2006, 2018–2022 as touring member, 2022–present, as official member)
;Former members
*
Andre Matos
Andre Coelho Matos (14 September 1971 – 8 June 2019) was a Brazilian singer and musician. He was involved in the heavy metal bands Viper, Angra, Shaman and Symfonia. Since 2006, Matos had been dedicating his time to his solo career. In 201 ...
– vocals (2000–2006, 2018–2019; died 2019)
* Thiago Bianchi – vocals (2007–2013)
* Léo Mancini – guitars (2007–2013)
* Fernando Quesada – bass (2007–2013)
* Junior Carelli – keyboards (2012–2013)
;
Discography
Studio albums as Shaman
* ''Shaman'' (
demo
Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to:
Music and film
*Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release
* ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes
* ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
) (2001)
* ''
Ritual
A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, b ...
'' (2002) No. 101 French Charts # 80 Japanese Charts
* ''Reason'' (2005)
* ''Immortal'' (2007)
* ''Origins'' (2010)
* ''Rescue'' (2022)
Studio albums as Shaaman
* ''
Reason
Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, ...
'' (2005) # 200 Japanese Charts
Live albums
* ''RituAlive'' (2003)
* ''AnimeAlive'' (2008)
Singles
* "Fairy Tale" (2002)
* "For Tomorrow" (2003)
* "Innocence" (as Shaaman, 2005)
* "
Kurenai" (
X-Japan
was a Japanese rock band from Chiba, formed in 1982 by drummer and pianist Yoshiki and lead vocalist Toshi. Starting as a predominantly power/speed metal band with heavy symphonic elements, they later gravitated towards a progressive sound w ...
cover, 2009)
Videography
Music videos
* "Fairy Tale" (2002)
* "For Tomorrow" (2003)
* "Innocence" (as Shaaman, 2005)
* "More" (as Shaaman, 2005)
* "In the Dark" (2007)
* "Finally Home" (2010)
* "Ego" (2011)
DVDs
*''RituAlive'' (2003)
*''Animelive'' (2008)
*''Shaman & Orchestra – One Live'' (2011)
See also
*
Angra
*
Sepultura
Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte. Formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera,Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. the band was a major force in the groove metal, thra ...
*
Dr. Sin
Dr. Sin are a Brazilian hard rock band formed in São Paulo in 1991 by Eduardo Ardanuy and brothers Andria and Ivan Busic.
History
Formation (1984–1991)
The brothers Andria and Ivan Busic formed their first bands, Platina (1984) and Cherok ...
References
External links
Official website(archived)
YouTube channelShaman – The French RitualShaman in Rockrepublik
{{Shaman
2000 establishments in Brazil
Brazilian power metal musical groups
Musical groups established in 2000
Musical groups from São Paulo
Brazilian symphonic metal musical groups
Sibling musical groups
Scarlet Records artists