Petrus Castrus was a Portuguese

Portuguese rock

The Portuguese rock scene has a fifty year history, and is popular within that country.-History:Rock music arrived to Portugal in the late 1950s with Joaquim Costa....

 progressive rock

Progressive rock

Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...

 band, formed in 1971 by brothers Pedro Castro and José Castro. The name of band comes from the Latin translation of Pedro Castro.

Influences

In the beginning Petrus Castrus were quite influenced by bands like Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...

, Procol Harum

Procol Harum

Procol Harum are a British rock band, formed in 1967, which contributed to the development of progressive rock, and by extension, symphonic rock. Their best-known recording is their 1967 single "A Whiter Shade of Pale"...

, The Nice

The Nice

The Nice were an English progressive rock band from the 1960s, known for their blend of rock, jazz and classical music. Their debut album, The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack was released in 1967 to immediate acclaim. It is often considered the first progressive rock album...

 and Electric Light Orchestra

Electric Light Orchestra

Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...

.

Members

The initial Petrus Castrus contained members:

• Pedro Castro: vocals , guitar and bass
• José Castro: keyboards, synthesizer and vocals
• Júlio Pereira: guitar
• Rui Reis: organ
• João Seixas: drums

Júlio Pereira left the band shortly after the recording of Mestre. The band suspended activity in 1974 and Rui Reis and João Seixas left to form the band Plutónicos, and later the heavy metal

Heavy metal music

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

band Ferro & Fogo (Iron & Fire).

In 1976, the Castro brothers returned with a new lineup:

• Pedro Castro: vocals, guitar and bass
• José Castro: keyboards, synthesizer and vocal
• Urbano Oliveira: drums

Two years later, their album Ascenção e Queda was made with contributions from:

• Fernando Girão: guitar
• Rui Serrão: bass
• Lena d'Água: vocais
• Nuno Rodrigues: vocais

Discography

• Marasmo (EP, 1971)
• Tudo Isto, Tudo Mais (All This, Everything More) (EP, 1972)
• Mestre (Master) (LP, 1973; CD, 2007)
• A Bananeira (Single, 1974)
• Cândida (Single, 1977)
• Ascenção e Queda (Ascent and Fall) (LP, 1978)
• Agente Altamente Secreto (Highly Secret Agent) (Single, 1977, was on bonus CD of 'Mestre')