{"id":3447,"date":"2013-03-05T05:50:56","date_gmt":"2013-03-04T23:50:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/?p=3447"},"modified":"2013-03-05T05:50:56","modified_gmt":"2013-03-04T23:50:56","slug":"death-metal-in-el-alto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/2013\/03\/05\/death-metal-in-el-alto\/","title":{"rendered":"Death Metal in El Alto"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>

The festival was unfortunately named. I accept no responsibility.<\/p><\/div>\n

I’ve occasionally put up posts on music in the past, but it looks like I may be putting up more such posts in the future. \u00a0I went with some friends to a Death Metal Festival the other day (posters above and bottom). \u00a0It was fantastic. \u00a0The variety of music (within the Metal genre) was stunning, and the musicianship was, frankly, a huge surprise. \u00a0We are definitely going to be exploring the Bolivian rock scene more deeply.<\/p>\n

\"Rock<\/a>

Rock Chicks on Stage: Tatyana, Karin and Leonore with Mariagrizel, the drummer from Obitus Designious<\/p><\/div>\n

We were there for eight hours and saw about half of the lineup. \u00a0Unfortunately, that was about all we could handle. \u00a0Maybe we will have to build up to it slowly. \u00a0I’ll run through a short review of the event and of the bands we saw. \u00a0In sum, though, this is a must-do activity for anyone in Bolivia interested in rock.<\/p>\n

\"Obitus<\/a>

Obitus Designious with our crew<\/p><\/div>\n

The venue was one of the many event halls in El Alto. \u00a0It wasn’t big, but managed to handle the crowd reasonably. \u00a0As they evening went on, though, it did get very smoky and there was no fresh air. \u00a0Happily, there was a courtyard outside the hall, but off the street, where you could gulp in some fresh oxygen between acts.<\/p>\n

\".<\/a>

. . . and with the girls<\/p><\/div>\n

Like always in Bolivia, the crowd was friendly and welcoming. \u00a0Most were young, and most seemed to be from El Alto. \u00a0The gender mix was a bit surprising – there were many more women than one would find at a similar event in the U.S. \u00a0I didn’t count the number of people who came up to me (very visibly an outsider) and welcomed me, several even thanking me for visiting Bolivia or for coming to the show. \u00a0Of course, all were curious about where we were from. \u00a0As the evening progressed, the alcohol consumption kept up with the music, and the dancing became more raucous, as is usual. \u00a0A fight (apparently over a girl) did break out in the courtyard, at one point, but it was quickly over without too much damage being done. \u00a0All in all, though, I would say the “moshing” and the pushing and shoving was less violent, and more respectful of non-moshers, than at many concerts I have attended in the U.S. and elsewhere.<\/p>\n

The Bands<\/h2>\n

The quality and diversity of the bands was the huge surprise of the afternoon. \u00a0One Cruze\u00f1o I had the opportunity to talk to between acts said that even related musical\u00a0genres\u00a0do not mix in Bolivia. \u00a0He said that Death Metal and Black Metal do mix, but Thrash Metal and Punk have their own scenes and never come together with each other or the first two. \u00a0The festival was focused on Death Metal and Black Metal, but the variety of music within those genres was quite a shock. \u00a0To give you a taste, I’ll run through the bands we saw, describe their music, and upload a representative sample (not whole songs, mostly just random outtakes).<\/p>\n

\"OD\"<\/a>Obitus Designious<\/h3>\n

Obitus is a quartet, with\u00a0Rodrigo Acosta Vargas fronting and playing the base guitar,\u00a0Luis Bejarano on the Guitar and\u00a0Mariagrizel Chavez tearing into the drums – the forth member, apparently a recent addition, is not named on their\u00a0Facebook\u00a0page<\/a>. \u00a0They came together in September, 2012 and hope to have an album out by mid-2013. \u00a0They list\u00a0Sepultura, 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\u00a0metallic\u00a0members of the list.<\/p>\n

[flv]http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/DSCN2805.flv[\/flv]<\/p>\n

By the way, please pardon the slowness, but if you expand to full screen, you will get a pretty good look.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Saita<\/h3>\n

This is an all-girl trio and they are incredible! \u00a0I 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. \u00a0This is simple, hardcore death metal. \u00a0The 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. \u00a0The 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. \u00a0Wow!<\/p>\n

[flv]http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/DSCN2816.flv[\/flv]<\/p>\n

[flv]http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/DSCN2817.flv[\/flv]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Belfast<\/h3>\n

Really? \u00a0Celtic metal in El Alto? \u00a0Yes! \u00a0And Belfast is fantastic. \u00a0With eight (!!) musicians up on the small stage, including a flutist and an electric violin, Belfast makes an impression. \u00a0The 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. \u00a0Celtic metal, a fusion of death metal and\u00a0Celtic\u00a0folk music, is naturally softer and more lyrical and melodic than other sub-genres of death metal. \u00a0That said, Belfast is notably more “death” and less lyrical than, for example, Celtic metal pioneers\u00a0Cruachan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[flv]http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/DSCN2819.flv[\/flv]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Purg\"<\/a>Purgatorium<\/h3>\n

Purgatorium is an excellent band from El Alto, but it does have a couple of twists. \u00a0Most noticible, the musicians wear masks. \u00a0It’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. \u00a0And while the music is mostly\u00a0traditional 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. \u00a0It is pretty effective. \u00a0Purgatorium has a\u00a0Facebook page<\/a>, but I didn’t find any clips on YouTube.<\/p>\n

[flv]http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/DSCN2821.flv[\/flv]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

Prodious<\/h3>\n

Prodious serves up some good melodeath metal (or melodic death metal). \u00a0The lead singer has a great voice, and uses it for a more melodic sound, with some light screaming. \u00a0You get none of the traditional death growls with Prodious. \u00a0In fact, the words are almost comprehensible at times. \u00a0Take a look at the hands of those two guitarists, especially the one on the right side of the screen. \u00a0He is\u00a0shredding! \u00a0He was certainly one of the best guitar players of the night — maybe the best. \u00a0As far as I can see, the band has no internet presence.<\/p>\n

[flv]http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/DSCN2825.flv[\/flv]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Maldicion<\/a>

Maldicion Kennedy<\/p><\/div>\n

Maldicion Kennedy<\/h3>\n

Another interesting band mixing a heavy metal sound with some more lyrical folk elements, this time, Bolivian folk. \u00a0With three Kennedy brothers in the band (maternal last names, anyway), they come by their seemingly semi-American name honestly. \u00a0Marco Antonio Ordo\u00f1es Kennedy plays the base guitar, and then drops it, occasionally, for the\u00a0quena\u00a0or\u00a0zampo\u00f1a, singing sometimes, as well. \u00a0Edgar Ordo\u00f1es Kennedy sings and plays the guitar. \u00a0Raul Ordo\u00f1es Kennedy is on the keyboard, while Juan Aron Mariscal Roselio takes care of the drums. \u00a0Maldicion Kennedy is from norther Potosi department. \u00a0I quite enjoyed the band, and liked the inclusion of the quena in the mix (the zampo\u00f1a\u00a0did not appear). \u00a0Maldicion Kennedy has a\u00a0Facebook page<\/a>\u00a0and a number of videos up on\u00a0YouTube<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n

[flv]http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/DSCN2826.flv[\/flv]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[flv]http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/DSCN2829.flv[\/flv]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Angaros\"<\/a>

Angaros<\/p><\/div>\n

Angaros<\/h3>\n

Unfortunately, we got hungry. \u00a0Had to make a run out for fried chicken. \u00a0Missed Angaros’ set. \u00a0Facebook page<\/a>. \u00a0There are several video clips up on\u00a0YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Dark\"<\/a>Dark<\/h3>\n

By the time we got back, the Dark set was mostly over. What little I saw suggested a more traditional death metal sound. They do have a Facebook page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"AM\"<\/a>Ave Maria<\/h3>\n

Ave Maria was a favorite of mine. \u00a0Slightly 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.\u00a0 Ave Maria has a Facebook page<\/a>, but I haven’t found any online video clips.<\/p>\n

[flv]http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/DSCN2830.flv[\/flv]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

<\/h2>\n

<\/h2>\n

<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bands We Missed<\/h2>\n

\"M16\"<\/a>M-16<\/strong>: \u00a0Facebook page<\/a>. \u00a0One video<\/a> on YouTube.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Iscario-t<\/strong>: \u00a0I can’t find a Facebook page, but there are a number of video clips up on YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Sab\"<\/a>Sabathan<\/strong>: \u00a0Facebook page<\/a>. \u00a0Has a number of videos up on\u00a0YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"TM\"<\/a>Thrashmaniacs<\/strong>: Facebook page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Tun\"<\/a>Tunupa<\/strong>: \u00a0Facebook page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"66sex\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Six Six Sex<\/strong>: \u00a0Facebook page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tumba Ancestral<\/strong>: \u00a0No internet presence, as far as I can see.<\/p>\n

Guillotina<\/strong>: \u00a0This was the name of a well-known Mexican metal band, but I don’t find any real information on the Bolivian band.<\/p>\n

\"MboG\"<\/a>Morbogore: \u00a0Facebook page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What’s Next:<\/h2>\n
\"Another<\/a>

Another night of metal at the Oveja Negra, in El Alto.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Obitus Designious will be playing the Perla Negra, in La Paz, on March 23.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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I’ve occasionally put up posts on music in the past, but it looks like I may be putting up more such posts in the future. \u00a0I went with some friends to a Death Metal Festival the other day (posters above and bottom). \u00a0It was fantastic. \u00a0The variety of music (within the Metal genre) was stunning, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[92,90,100,111,68,112],"tags":[187,113,189,178,195],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3447"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3447"}],"version-history":[{"count":75,"href":"http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3447\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3636,"href":"http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3447\/revisions\/3636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3447"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/memmott.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}