Featuring Opeth bassist Martín Mendéz, progressive death metal act, White Stones, recently shared a lyric video for their take on Patricio Rey Y Sus Redonditos De Ricota’s “Vencedores Vencidos.” The track comes from their new third studio album, Memoria Viva, out now via Reigning Phoenix Music (North American CD release – July 26th; vinyl – August 9th). Catch the lyric video and more below.
Order/stream Memoria Viva here: https://whitestones.rpm.link/memoriavivaPR
Comments Mendéz, “Patricio Rey Y Sus Redonditos De Ricota is a band that had a great impact on my youth. They’re a mythical Argentinian rock band and very well known all over Latin America, in particular in the ‘80s and ‘90s. ‘Vencedores Vencidos’ is one of their all-time classics and I feel honored to have a cover by them on our album!”
Adds vocalist Eloi Boucherie, “‘Vencedores Vencidos’ is one of the great classical hits from the Argentinian rock music scene, and it was a real challenge and unforgettable experience to make a cover of this immortal song. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we did reinterpreting it.”
The nine tracks continue Mendéz’ own approach to progressive death metal and take listeners into a soundscape which is graced with impactful Spanish-spoken lyrics. Much like its predecessors, Memoria Viva melts together disparate genres into a unique sonic experience. The instrumental frenzy migrates with delicate intricacies creating a mesmerizing atmosphere captivating any musical connoisseur, with the energetic language of Spanish chosen to round out this multi-faceted endeavor.
“Making an album in Spanish is something that I wanted to do for a long time,” notes Mendéz. “We tried it out with our second record, Dancing Into Oblivion, but at the time we couldn’t convince ourselves that it worked on that album. This time we did, and I feel very proud of the result.”
Adds Boucherie, “One of the most notable aspects of this new album, apart from not setting any creative limits musically, has been the challenge of having proposed to sing in the Spanish language. It has been a very exciting experience, and we believe we have found a new way to continue giving something new to the White Stones sound and make this musical proposal something more unique!”
Elements of aggression, that can be heard within Memoria Viva’s instrumental frenzies, manage to co-exist along softer vibes, generating a distinct dynamic among the songs, with interludes allowing listeners to take a breath and appreciate what they’re hearing. Memoria Viva was recorded at Farm Of Sounds Studios and mixed and mastered by Gerard Porqueres at Heartwork Recording Studios (both in Barcelona, Spain).
The band’s lineup has been enhanced with the participation of the multi-faceted Joan Carles Marí Tur on drums and guitar solos provided by João Sassetti. Additional guests José Ignacio Lagos (flute) and Joakim Svalberg (keyboards) accentuate the album further. Memoria Viva is a true treat for anyone who enjoys devouring multi-experimental musicianship.
Memoria Viva tracklisting:
01 Memoria Viva
02 Humanoides
03 D-Generación
04 Zamba de Orun
05 La Ira
06 Somos
07 Grito al silencio
08 Vencedores Vencidos
09 Yemayá
Watch White Stones’ previously released video for “La Ira” (https://youtu.be/2gDXPtO8epw) and “D-Generación” (https://youtu.be/vge2uQFQFmM)
White Stones Live:
9/27-28/2024 Be Prog! My Friend – Barcelona, ES
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