Latin metal
 | You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Spanish. (August 2009) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
Latin metal (Spanish: Heavy metal en español) is a genre of metal music with Latin origins, influences, and instrumentation, such as Spanish vocals, Latin percussion and rhythm such as Salsa rhythm, and traditional Spanish-style guitar playing (including flamenco[1]).
History
An early mention of the term comes from critic Robert Christgau, who referred to Carlos Santana's music from the 1970s as "Latin-metal pop," making it a possible forerunner in the genre.[2]
Latin metal originates in the 1970s and 1980s in countries such as Spain, Mexico, Argentina, and the rest of Latin America, thanks to the increasing worldwide popularity of heavy metal and heavy rock from Europe and United States. It may also have profited from the "Latin explosion" in the United States of the 1990s, though some critics contend that the gap between Ricky Martin-style pop and metal is too great for Latin metal to have profited greatly.[3] Still, record companies in the 1990s sought to profit from the rise of Latin pop, as evidenced from the Metalo compilation of Latin metal bands by the Grita! Records label, which included songs by Puya and Ill Niño,[4] and bands from the 1990s such as Sepultura and Soulfly are cited as predecessors in the genre.[5] In the United States, Ill Niño is probably the best-known exponent of the genre; their first two albums (with "philosophical and bilingual lyrics" about such topics as growing up fatherless) were commercially successful and got them strong radio play in for instance the San Antonio area.[6]
Unlike English heavy metal, the metal of the Hispanic world has seldom managed to enter the mainstream world, except for a few bands as Rata Blanca and Mägo de Oz that achieve popularity in their country and start from there to other Spanish-speaking countries.
Latin metal bands
Argentina
- V8 - Created in 1982, one of the first notable Argentine bands of the heavy metal genre.
Brazil
- Sepultura - Formed in Brazil in the mid 1980's by singer/guitarist Max Cavalera and brother Igor Cavalera.
- Angra - Progressive Power Metal from Brazil with latin influences.
Chile
- Alejandro Silva - Instrumental heavy metal guitarist of the Alejandro Silva Power Cuarteto.
Colombia
- Kraken - Founded in 1983.
Mexico
- Luzbel - Heavy Metal band, formed in 1982.
- Transmetal - They are considered the "fathers" of Mexican Metal, founded in 1987.
- Resorte - Nu Metal band from Monterrey, formed in 1995.
Puerto Rico
- Puya[7] - In 2000, one of their songs, "Tírale", was included in the soundtrack of the movie Heavy Metal 2000, the only track with lyrics in Spanish from the collection.
Spain
- Barón Rojo - The band reached their peak in the 1980's, though they are still active today.
- Ángeles del Infierno - They achieved success in Latin America during the 1980's and the early 1990's.
- Breed 77 - Spanish alternative metal/latin metal band.
United States
- Brujeria - A death/extreme metal band from Los Angeles whose songs are only in Spanish. The frontman calls himself Juan Brujo. They are most known for covering their faces with bandanas and their controversial album titles such as Matando Güeros and Mextremist.
- Ill Niño - A metal band from New Jersey whose 2001 debut album Revolution Revolución was seminal in the development of the genre.[8][9]
- Soulfly - Another band formed by Max Cavalera.
- Atheist - A technical death metal band from Sarasota, Florida. Their death/thrash metal music style is influenced by latin music, as well as jazz (The former being shown especially in the song 'Samba Briza' from the 1993 album Elements.
References
- ^ Sharpe-Young, Garry (2005). New Wave of American Heavy Metal. Zonda Books. p. 176. ISBN 9780958268400.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Christgau, Robert (1990). Rock albums of the '70s: a critical guide. Da Capo. p. 342. ISBN 9780306804090.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Burr, Ramiro (2000-06-24). "Are You Ready to Rock Pesado? Latinos Struggle to Prove their Metal". Billboard. pp. 52–54. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Puya, Armored Saint Lead Latin Metal Surge On Metalo". MTV. 1999-06-25. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Peiken, Matt (2001-07-31). "Bang Your Head: Latin Metal is Next 'Revolucion'". Sun Herald. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Burr, Ramiro (2003-11-30). "Latin Notes: Ill Nino's confessional Latin metal band rages about missing fathers, betrayals, and loving and hating". San Antonio Express-News. p. J.8.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Bilingual thrash, salsa-core, polyrhythmic Latin metal -- it's almost futile to describe what Puya does," in Piccoli, Sean (2001-08-10). "Defiant Sound, Defying Description from Puerto Rico via South Florida, Puya Carries the 'Clave-Core' Torch to Zetafest". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. p. 35.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Sharpe-Young, Garry (2005). New Wave of American Heavy Metal. Zonda Books. p. 242. ISBN 9780958268400.
- ^ "Ill Niño: Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
 | This article about a music genre is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |