Gus Monsanto

Gus Monsanto (Gustavo Monsanto)
Born	(1974-11-05) 5 November 1974 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Genres	Progressive rock, progressive metal, symphonic metal, power metal
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	1993–present
Labels	AFM,
Website	www.gusmonsanto.com

Gus Monsanto is the stage name of Gustavo Monsanto (born 5 November 1974 in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil) is the former lead singer of the French progressive metal band Adagio, and former lead singer of Finnish band Revolution Renaissance formed by Timo Tolkki after he left Stratovarius. He is the brother of journalist Eduardo Monsanto of ESPN Brazil.

In 2009 he released an album as frontman of the band The Lightseekers.

Gus Monsanto is the new singer of German metal band Human Fortress and he is singing on the new album which was released 9 November. called "Raided Land". Gus released his first solo debut album called Karma Café in 2016, but he continues working with several other bands.

He is still fronting the legendary German power metal band Human Fortress and now the band is working on the new album that will be third release with Gus Monsanto on lead vocals, "Reign of Gold".

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.

Discography

Date	Artist	Album Title	Notes
1995	Angel Heart	Welcome	Lead Vocals
2004	Astra	Astra	Lead Vocals
2005	Adagio	Dominate	Lead Vocals
2007	Dr.Sin	Bravo	Guest Vocals
2007	Zyon Vega	Trinity_ (unreleased)	Lead Vocals
2008	Stéphane Cavanez	Collectif Tribute	Guest Vocals
2008	Venturia	Hybrid	Guest Vocals/Backing Vocals
2008	Skyrion	Beyond Creation	Producer
2008	Revolution Renaissance	Untitled Demo	Lead Vocals
2008	Takara	Invitation To Forever	Lead Vocals
2009	Adagio	Archangels in Black	Backing Vocals
2009	The Lightseekers	Flying Free	Lead Vocals
2009	Revolution Renaissance	Age Of Aquarius	Lead Vocals
2009	Thunderstone	Dirt Metal	Backing Vocals
2010	Revolution Renaissance	Trinity	Lead Vocals
2010	Ferreira	Better Run !!!	Guest Vocals
2010	Julien Damotte	Trapped	Guest Vocals
2010	Jade Lizard	Puppet Master (unreleased)	Lead Vocals
2010	Kim's Over silence	Carpe Diem	Guest Vocals
2010	Painside	Dark World Burden	Guest Vocals
2010	Pleaides	Pleaides	Producer
2011	Gunpoint (unreleased)	At Gunpoint	Lead Vocals
2011	Seliger (unreleased)	Out of the Dark	Lead Vocals
2011	Ferreira	Are You In ?	Guest Appearance
2012	Aria Inferno	The Absinthe Episodes	Lead Vocals
2012	Lord Of Mushrooms	Perspectives	Lead Vocals
2012	Symbolica	Precession	Lead Vocals
2012	Tray Of Gift	The Tray Of Gift	Guest Vocals
2013	Human Fortress	Raided Land	Lead Vocals
2013	Aneurose	From Hell	Lead Vocals
2013	Code Of Silence	Dark Skies Over Babylon	Lead Vocals
2014	Marmor	Alma Celta	Guest Vocals
2014	Jesus Christ Superstar (unreleased)	Hits From Rio Cast Recording	Guest Vocals
2014	Refurbished	Only Want The Best	Guest Vocals
2014	Exxiles	Oblivion	Guest Vocals
2015	Galwem	Joaquim e o Barril de Carvalho	Producer
2015	Skyeart	Freedom (Between Being and Nothingness)	Lead Vocals
2015	Sons Of Haze	Skirmish	Guest Vocals/Producer
2015	Roots Of Hate	Inside The Purgatory	Producer
2015	Alex Martinho	Ao Vivo Na Toca Do Bandido	Guest Vocals
2016	Motorgun	Motorgun	Writer
2016	Stereo Scream (unreleased)	Stereo Scream	Lead Vocals
2016	Human Fortress	Thieves of the Night	Lead Vocals
2016	Gus Monsanto	Karma Café	Lead Vocals, producer
2016	Grand Media Blackout	Grand Media Blackout	Lead Vocals
2017	Omega Blast	Omega Blast	Guest Appearance
2017	Criminal Brain	Killing Joke	Producer
2017	Burnt City	Resurgence	Lead Vocals
2017	Edu Falaschi	A New Lease Of Life: 25th Anniversary Tribute Vol. II	Guest Vocals
2017	Sicke	The Room	Producer
2017	Indiscipline	Sanguinea	Producer
2017	Rec/All	Rec/All	Guest Vocals
2017	The Yell	Recovery	Lead Vocals
2017	1Dia Pro Fim	1Dia Pro Fim	Producer
2017	Fall Of Silence	Act 1	Writer
2017	Exos	Time for a Change	Guest Vocals
2018	Pleasure Maker	Dancin' With Danger	Guest Vocals
2018	Fleesh	Versions	Guest Vocals
2018	Supremacy	Sirius (Single)	Lead Vocals
2019	Guilherme Costa	Light Of Revelations	Guest Vocals
2019	Human Fortress	Reign Of Gold	Lead Vocals
2020	Marius Danielsen and Friends	We Are The World (Single)	Guest Vocals
2020	Ferreira	Come And Get It	Guest Vocals
2020	Walter Monsanto	Perfect Balance	Guest Vocals
2021	Human Fortress	Epic Tales & Untold Stories	Lead Vocals
TBA	Revolution: East	Revolution: East	Lead Vocals
TBA	Eden Myrrh	Lost Anthology	Lead Vocals