Central American Metal

by u/Xecotcovach_13

After long debate whether this was worth doing, I decided to go for it.

Metal in Central America isn't as successful as it is in Mexico or South America. It's odd considering our proximity to the US, but perhaps it's because we're a smaller, more conservative region. Information on bands is hard to come by, so I'll present some highlights which I genuinely enjoy or find interesting to varying degrees. This is an incomplete overview of the region's Metal scene and my picks are biased. I tried not to sacrifice quality for variety or representation. Hopefully I succeeded.

Some of the earliest music was recorded at times of civil wars, and conditions are rough to this day. The following stories are telling of the place as a whole. In the early 70s, Maco Luna from Cuerpo y Alma was imprisoned and beatened after the police raided his music venue searching for drugs. Sometime later, Rony de León from SOS was abdcuted, interrogated, and beatened by the police under false allegations that he was a criminal or was involved with guerrillas. In 2014, a local defense patrol armed with machetes broke into Inquisition's concert and halted the show. A few people were hurt but the concert was cancelled before things got worse.

Anyways, I've divded bands by sub genre and used the following notation to indicate nationality: (G) = Guatemala, (H) = Honduras, (S) = El Salvador, (N) = Nicaragua (C) = Costa Rica, (P) = Panama. I think most people will find a few things to their liking, so check out all the bands if you have the time.

Lets dive in.

Heavy

Khaos (H) - The first full-length from the region as far I'm aware - and one of my favorites. A concept album from a band that was ahead of their peers, this was actually recorded in El Salvador in 1985. The LP is nearly impossible to find but it's been reissued twice and is available at a very cheap price for official download. The sound reminds me of Arkangel and Resistencia. Have a listen.
Sangre Humana (G) - Formed in 1979, this band started the Metal scene in the country thanks to drummer and vocalist "Blacko" Gonzales' efforts. Their 1987 recording could be considered a lost link of First Wave Black Metal. Those of you who like dark rarities with bad production might enjoy it: Visión Satánica and Destino del Poder. The band was renamed Guerreros del Metal in 1989 after line up and sound changes.
Broncco (S) - These guys released their frist single back in 1981 but didn't record an album until the mid 90s in Guatemala. Definitey more on the radio-friendly Rock spectrum but still solid and important to the scene in El Salvador. It's a shame these bands aren't better known in their respective countries or by their neighbors. This one's a pretty cool story considering founder and guitarrist "Chente" Sabrián has had polio since he was one year old.
Cuerpo y Alma (G) - A unique blend of Hard Rock and Guatemalan "Son music." The following songs were written in 1973, predating Broncco, Khaos, and Sangre Humanaa by a decade. Cuerpo y Alma gets classified as Hard Rock, but I think there's enough Black Sabbath influence in there to merit a place on this list. After all, they experimented with folk elements cause they were tired of sounding too much like Sabbath, among others. The band has a fascinating story; a classic tale of Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll set in a poor nation amidst a civil war and military dictatorships. IMO this is wonderful.
Los Asesinos del Pentagrama (P) - Good quality Speed/Trad. Definitely give them a try. They made this clever cover of Metalucifer's Heavy Metal Hunter sung in Spanish and paying tribute to various Spanish-singing classics.
Galope Mortal (P) - Along the same lines as their countrymen above. Nothing groundbreaking, but very enjoyable nonetheless. Have at it.
Serpiente Vision (G) - Took me a while to get into them but they're posibly my favorite band from Central America. I'll never forget seeing them live when I was a 15 year-old schmuck. Don't know what it is about them but they just do it for me. They play raw Heavy Metal, have nice power ballads, and can get quite thrashy. Despite their name and imagery though, only one of their tunes is Mayan-themed: Serpenter.
Angelus (S) - More on the Doom side with lo-fi production. Not bad.
Diabolus (S) - Similar to Angelus but with better production.
Arpía (G) - These guys had potential. Traditional Metal á la Iron Maiden but with a rawer edge. Give them a go: Desierto Sirio.
Kabala (S) - Standard Speed/Trad FFO Muro.

Thrash

The Maximones (G) - This band came out of nowhere and I think it's great. A nice presentation of regional culture, drawing from Mayan mythology and the shitty conditions most people live in. Thrash Metal with Hardcore influence, but not exactly Crossover. The name most likely refers to the plural form of Maximón, a deity and synchretic cult of the Guatemalan highlands. Enjoy.
Movavom (G) - Entirely instrumental band.
Höwler (C) - Not my kind of thing at all, but if you like modern Thrash here you go.

Black

Hex (S) - Raw, hateful BM akin to the Finnish and South American sound.
Lucifuge Rocale (N) - Raw and aggressive; they're pretty good.
C.R.U.E.L. (G) - No bandcamp, no social media, all material released independently. The same applies to a few others on this list, actually.

Band leader Ebvleb has caused controversy abroad with some deals gone awry. When I was first got into the genre it seemed like he dominated the Extreme Metal scene in the country. At the very least he did his part by organizing festivals, creating his own label, and promoting national and international bands. Return with the Beast

Abyssum (G) - Ebvleb's main project. Their first album was filled with long, contemplative passages, interesting arrangements, and a lot of atmosphere. If you like early Emperor and early Ulver, you should enjoy this.. They seem to be more riff-oriented nowadays after decreasing keyboard use. Give this one a try as well. They also opted for bad production on their later material to "weed out the false."
Specvlvm Aeternvm (H) - High quality material. Similar to latter-day Abyssum.
Agares (H) - Akherra's one-demo band. He's the drummer for Abyssum.
Noctis Invocat (G) - Black Metal with Doom influences. One of the more important bands from the country.
Seol (G) - Currently based in California. Band member Nympherus was jailed for "smuggling ammunition at the airport" some years back. What actually happened: Nympherus was returning to the US after playing a local gig. Airport security mistook his bullet belt attire as illegal ammunition. He was released shortly after with no harm done. Here you go.
Bacab (G) - This band has improved over time. I believe Bacabs are gods associated with cardinal points in Mayan mythology. Ixchel

Death

Paganus Doctrina (C) - These guys were spewing out quality demos back in 1995 and are still going today.
Pseudostrattified Epithelium (C) - Same deal as above. Good stuff, check it out.
Lúgubre (C) - More on the Doomy side than their countrymen above. Acto Profano
Necropsia (G) - Another band for which I have an unexplained affection. Bassist, vocalist, and co-founder is non other than Armando "El Abuelo" Girón, one of the co founders of Sangre Humana. As his nickname implies, he's the oldest person in the scene. Hate Dominion.
Macabro (G) - Competent, professional, and enjoyable. La Rebelión de los Impíos
Sanctum Regnum (G) - Old school veterans including members of Sangre Humana and Serpiente Vision. Messy and chaotic. Suicide Depression
Ixkal (H) - Influenced by Swedish DM/Göthenburg sound. It's decent.
Maleficia (N) - Sadly, the only other Nicaraguan band on this list. El Martillo de las Brujas
Soomdrag (S) - Competent and decent, if you've enjoyed the ones above you'll appreciate this one as well. Gates of Hell

Subgenre Fusions

Genocidium (S) - This one also took me by surprise. "Hateful and chaotic Metal from Hell Salvador.". Fans of War Metal and Darkthrone shouldn't miss out on this one. Slightly NS-tinged.
Fallen Souls (S) - A rare honor for Central America, Chris Moyen drew this album's cover art. You know what to expect.
Evokador (G) - I didn't think much of it when my friend said he was starting a band but lo and behold, here they are now. Their EP has been released by German and American labels and it's available through Iron Bonehead, among others. Some of you know this band already, they've been posted here before. Primitive and irreverent Black/Thrash from the violent streets of Guatemala City. Lyrics cover a wide range of fun topics like Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Lovecraft, Bathory worship, etc. This is the vomit of the Earth. Stay on the lookout for new material.
Hexe Eye (G) - Another pleasent surprise and a stand-out in the scene: all-female death/trhash FFO: Derkéta and Mythic.
Neurotóxico (G) - Pretty good Crossover. Reminds a bit of Deceased.
Sore Sight (G) A strange band. If you're looking for something unique, listen to this.
Culto Negro (C) - Standard Black/Speed. It's alright.
Eterno Impeler (G) - More chaotic and messy Death/Thrash: Poder Maligno

Dark Ambient/Dungeon Synth

Nigromante (G) - Another of Ebvleb's projects. I really dig this one.

The Black Twilight Circle

Definitely the most well-known in this primer. None of these bands are from Central America, but they're Mesoamerican in origin.

Volahn - Ramírez is actually of Kaqchikel Mayan origin, IIRC. Nothing else to say, a lot of you know this one already. Aq'ab'al.
Muknal - They take their name from Actún Tunichil Muknal (Cave of the Crystal Sepulchure) in Belize. Cavernous Black/Death.
Kuxan Suum - Similar to Volahn.

Apologies for the wall of text. Hopefully most of you find something you like in here.

If you're interested in early Latin American Heavy Metal at large, read the primer on the wiki.