Bands
Angaros
Facebook page. There are several video clips up on YouTube.
Antifona
A La Paz Symphonic Metal band.
Ave Maria
Ave Maria was a favorite of mine. Slightly more melodic than some of the other bands, it was apparently a favorite of many others, as well — the crowd seemed to know the words to all the songs. And check out the electric charango — now that is cool. Ave Maria has a Facebook page, but I haven’t found any online video clips.
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Belfast
Really? Celtic metal in El Alto? Yes! And Belfast is fantastic. With eight (!!) musicians up on the small stage, including a flutist and an electric violin, Belfast makes an impression. The two lead singers, trying to weave their participation together sometimes by alternative phrases, need more practice to get a difficult idea to actually jell, but the music behind them, including the prominent flute and electric violin are a pleasure to listen to and made a wonderful break after Saita’s deep death metal. Celtic metal, a fusion of death metal and Celtic folk music, is naturally softer and more lyrical and melodic than other sub-genres of death metal. That said, Belfast is notably more “death” and less lyrical than, for example, Celtic metal pioneers Cruachan.
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Bruhash
A heavy metal band. Facebook Page
Dark
Guillotina
A metal band
Histeria
A Paceña band playing alternative rock with touches of progressive and space rock, and heavy metal. Facebook page
Invaders
An Iron Maiden tribute band. Facebook Page
Iscario-t
I can’t find a Facebook page, but there are a number of video clips up on YouTube.
Kusillo
Libellula
Goth Metal
M-16
Facebook page. One video on YouTube.
Maldicion Kennedy
Another interesting band mixing a heavy metal sound with some more lyrical folk elements, this time, Bolivian folk. With three Kennedy brothers in the band (maternal last names, anyway), they come by their seemingly semi-American name honestly. Marco Antonio Ordoñes Kennedy plays the base guitar, and then drops it, occasionally, for the quena or zampoña, singing sometimes, as well. Edgar Ordoñes Kennedy sings and plays the guitar. Raul Ordoñes Kennedy is on the keyboard, while Juan Aron Mariscal Roselio takes care of the drums. Maldicion Kennedy is from norther Potosi department. I quite enjoyed the band, and liked the inclusion of the quena in the mix (the zampoña did not appear). Maldicion Kennedy has a Facebook page and a number of videos up on YouTube. By the way, the first clip below, with its high-pitched singing, is not very representative of most of the Kennedy sound, which tends toward more traditional guttural vocals. The second clip gives a taste of the integration of the quena into the music.
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Morbogore
Obitus Designious
Obitus is a quartet, with Rodrigo Acosta Vargas fronting and playing the base guitar, Luis Bejarano on the Guitar and Mariagrizel Chavez tearing into the drums – the forth member, apparently a recent addition, is not named on their Facebook page. They came together in September, 2012 and hope to have an album out by mid-2013. They list Sepultura, Slayer, Anthrax, Deicide, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Kreator, Destruction, Sodom, Pink Floyd, Queen, and Black Sabbath as influences, but clearly are more heavily influenced by the more metallic members of the list.
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Prodious
Prodious serves up some good melodeath metal (or melodic death metal). The lead singer has a great voice, and uses it for a more melodic sound, with some light screaming. You get none of the traditional death growls with Prodious. In fact, the words are almost comprehensible at times. Take a look at the hands of those two guitarists, especially the one on the right side of the screen. He is shredding! He was certainly one of the best guitar players of the night — maybe the best. As far as I can see, the band has no internet presence.
[flv]http://memmott.us/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/DSCN2825.flv[/flv]
Purgatorium
Purgatorium is an excellent band from El Alto, but it does have a couple of twists. Most noticible, the musicians wear masks. It’s not to keep people from recognizing them (everyone sees their faces as they come in and leave, anyway), but it does give the performance an extra bit of the macabre. And while the music is mostly traditional death metal, with the usual death growls performed by the lead singer, there is a female backup singer who adds some higher pitched screams as a counterpoint. It is pretty effective. Purgatorium has a Facebook page, but I didn’t find any clips on YouTube.
[flv]http://memmott.us/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/DSCN2821.flv[/flv]
REDRUM
A La Paz band playing Grunge/Sludge Metal influenced by Alice In Chains, Kyuss, Pearl Jam, Corrosion Of Conformity, Melvins y Down. Facebook page
Sabathan
Facebook page. Has a number of videos up on YouTube.
Saita
This is an all-girl trio and they are incredible! I don’t have the names of the participants, and they don’t have a facebook page (yet), but I’ll certainly be watching for an opportunity to see them again. This is simple, hardcore death metal. The girl who fronts the band has a deep, dark, loud, powerful death growl into which she puts not only her voice but her entire body. The guitarist and drummer are both good, as well, but they do tend to fade into the background when the lead singer is doubled over, as if in pain, pushing out that growl. Wow!
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Six Six Sex
Thrashmaniacs
Tumba Ancestral
Tunupa
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