In 2004 the band does many shows on the mainland and islands, with guitarist Sílvio returning to the team. The drums were also given to the young Hugo at this time.
In September, the Medal of Tourist Merit Grau Prata was handed over to Domingos Caetano, in a ceremony presided over by Mr. Secretary of State for Tourism, Dr. Carlos Martins, on the occasion of the official commemorations of the “World Tourism Day 2004”, which took place in the Auditorium of the Faro Delegation of the Portuguese Youth Institute. The Algarve Tourism Region instituted the attribution of the “Tourism Medals” intended to give public appreciation to natural or collective entities, public or private, national or foreign, whose activity has been highlighted in the valorization, dynamization and dissemination of tourism, with a clear interest for the Algarve Region.
At the end of 2004, IRIS begins a new phase of its life, remodeling the entire team of musicians. So, on bass was Márinho (musician from the beginning of the band in 1988), on drums Paulo Cardoso, on keys Carlinhos, keeping Sílvio on guitars. Says who heard them, that the strength and energy of other times, was recovered and improved.
2005 brought another element to the working group. Thierry returned to the drums and the sound of other times was heard again.
It was with him on drums that the band celebrated 10 years of CD’s, in a show held in Faro, the same place where the 1st CD “Vão dar bathhó dog” had been presented in 1995. Thus, on the 7th of September, exactly 10 years Afterwards, the band performs a grandiose show with the participation of the Chamber Orchestra “Ensemble Petrov”, composed of violins, violas and cellos, in a total of 10 classically trained musicians, as well as the participation of the Grupo Coral do Algarve, directed by Dr. . Evelina Assenova Kavrakova.
After an intense year of many shows, the end of the season brought all the musicians to the studio to start pre-production of what will be the next record.
The year 2006 brings the re-entry of João Ruano “João de Lagos” to complement the keys, and the replacement of Sílvio by Rui Machado who for the second time returns to be responsible for the guitars.
In July the band gives one of the many shows in which the Chamber Orchestra “Ensemble Petrov” participates, this time for 50,000 people at the Motard Concentration of the Moto Clube de Faro. Taking advantage of the environment and the technical conditions, they decided to record the entire show in a single “take” for the possible edition of a live CD.
After several successes over the years, in 2007, they became the first Portuguese rock band to put on a show with an orchestra and to record a CD and DVD during these shows, with the help of Bulgarian violinist Emiliano Petrov, professor at the Conservatory of Vila Real de Santo António, which brought together Essemble Petrov with musicians from the Orquestra do Algarve, for this purpose, reaching to perform for 50,000 people which was one of the best moments of the current career of the IRIS.
After another period of many shows and with the pre-production of the new work completed, the band finally started recording in November 2008 at Rockestra – Associação Juvenil studios in Moncarapacho.
There were long hours spent in the studio, and the final work was the result of a vast period of maturation (ie, dedication, affection and hard work), but which results in another milestone in the band’s history. Domingos continues to be the creative engine of the project, also signing many of the 12 songs that make up the CD. At his side are Thierry (Drums and Percussion), Márinho Pires (Bass and Vocals), Rui Machado (Guitars) Carlos Guerreiro (Keys and Vocals) and João Ruano (Keys), counting on some of the themes, with the presence of guests such as Sara Gonçalves, Inês Graça and João Ramos (choirs), Nuno Ferreira and Bruno Romeira (guitars) and Beto Kalulu (percussion).
With the recording of the 12 songs finished in January, the work was definitively ready in May 2009.
With the record contract with the label always concluded, it was time for the band to start a new period of its life: the search for a new partner to put the new cd on the market. After the various alternatives found, the band ceded the phonographic rights of the work to the publisher Espacial, with whom it stays connected for a year.
As a result of a proposal made by a fan of the band, the young Raquel Luís, the preparation of the cover/booklet began, and all the work was completed by the band herself, in early October.
With the release on sale in early November, the band is preparing a show for the launch of this new CD entitled “Sueste”. As mentioned in the acknowledgments of the cd, “to all the fans who have supported us over these years – this work is for you”.
Derived from other projects and works by the members themselves from 1995 to the present, IRIS have released an average of one album every two years, the most recent being Sueste, dating from 2009. After several months of work in the studio the band prepares to release another new album entitled IRIS “Ao Acaso” which was recorded and completed in 2015.
At the end of 2016 the band recorded a live DVD in the municipal auditorium of Olhão entitled “Baladas”.
In 2020, due to the pandemic, the shows were interrupted and during the quarantine the band recorded a video of the theme “There is always a tomorrow” with the participation of the Spaniard Joaquim Cortes and the guitarist Nuno Ferreira as a theme of hope.
very cool band