Keith Caputo - Got Monsters (I No Longer Exist)
Artist
Mina Caputo (born Keith Caputo; December 4, 1973) is an American singer best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of New York City heavy metal band Life of Agony. Caputo came out as transgender in 2011 and transitioned to female.
Career
Caputo started Life of Agony in 1989 with guitarist Joey Z. and bassist Alan Robert. Drummer Sal Abruscato was recruited soon afterwards. After signing with Roadrunner Records, they debuted with the 1993 album, River Runs Red. Shortly after the release of a third album in 1997, Caputo claimed that her heart was no longer in the type of music they performed, and left the group. After leaving the group, Caputo formed Absolute Bloom. However, the band broke up in July 1998.
Caputo also worked extensively on a solo career in the 1990s, and released two studio albums. Later, she helped to re-form the Brazilian band Freax, which had broken up over ten years earlier. They developed a self-titled album in 2003.
The original line-up of Life of Agony reunited for two sold-out shows at New York's Irving Plaza on January 3 and 4, 2003. The reunion resulted in several more shows and appearances on European festivals, as well as the recording of Broken Valley (2005), the band's first new material since 1997.
In 2003, Caputo formed a group consisting of New York musicians Mike Shaw (Bass) and Dan Platt (guitars), along with Dutch musicians Jochem Van Rooijen (drums) and Jack Pisters (lead guitars) that toured and recorded what became the album Live Monsters (2004).
On May 1, 2006, Caputo released her third solo album Hearts Blood on Your Dawn which was only sold at her live shows, via mailorder through her website, and in the iTunes Store.
In 2007, Caputo recorded her fourth solo album, A Fondness for Hometown Scars, which includes a guest appearance by Flea (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) on trumpet, amongst others.
Personal life
In July 2011, Caputo came out as transgender. For a while, her legal name was Keith Mina Caputo.
"When I was Keith, I certainly wouldn't allow myself to be as flowery or as vulnerable as I do now,"
said Caputo in a 2016 interview that appeared on the music website No Echo.
"I'm a fucking sissy, get over it [laughs] ! I no longer have this masculinity or this manhood to protect. This is a transformation I've been dreaming of my entire life."
Mina Caputo, nata Keith Caputo (Brooklyn, 4 dicembre 1973), è una cantante statunitense nota per essere la voce dei Life of Agony.
Carriera
Caputo fonda i Life of Agony nel 1989 con il chitarrista Joey Z. ed il bassista Alan Robert. Dopo poco tempo viene assoldato anche il batterista Sal Abruscato. Per 4 anni suonano nei locali di New York fino a quando vengono notati e successivamente scritturati dall'etichetta Roadrunner Records che porterà all'uscita del loro primo album River Runs Red.
Con la stessa etichetta pubblica altri due album (Ugly e Soul Searching Sun) e subito dopo l'uscita del terzo album, nel 1997 Caputo lascia la band per divergenze stilistiche con gli altri membri.
Subito dopo fonda il gruppo Absolute Bloom con i quali registrerà solo qualche demo prima di sciogliersi nel luglio 1998. Più tardi Caputo cercherà di riformare la band brasiliana Freax, riuscendoci e pubblicando con loro un album omonimo nel 2002.
Nel 2003 Caputo fonda un gruppo formato dai musicisti newyorkesi Mike Shaw (basso) e Dan Platt (chitarra) insieme agli olandesi Jochem Van Rooijen (batteria) e Jack Pisters (chitarra solista) con il quale suona live e registra l'album Live Monsters.
Nello stesso anno rientra anche in attività con i Life of Agony per effettuare solo qualche concerto ma la reunion si rivela molto più duratura del previsto tanto da pubblicare due nuovi album ed essere ancora oggi in attività. Nel 2011 Caputo ha dato inoltre vita ad un side project con Ryan Oldcastle e Michael Shaw chiamato The Neptune Darlings con il quale pubblica nello stesso anno l'album Chestnuts & Fireflies.
Vita personale
Nel 2011 Keith Caputo si sottopone ad un'operazione chirurgica per il cambio di sesso e prende legalmente il nome di Mina Caputo.
