Barón Rojo

Barón Rojo

Original line-up of Barón Rojo reunited in 2010.
Background information
Origin Madrid, Spain
Genres Heavy Metal
Hard Rock
Years active 1980-present
Website www.baronrojo.net
Members Armando de Castro
Carlos de Castro
Rafa Díaz
Past members José Luis Campuzano "Sherpa"
Hermes Calabria
Máximo González
Pepe Bao
José Antonio del Nogal
Niko del Hierro
José Luis Aragón
Valeriano Rodríguez
Ángel Arias
José Martos
Tony Ferrer
Gorka Alegre

Barón Rojo (Spanish pronunciation: [baˈɾon ˈroxo]) are a Spanish heavy metal band, who reached some international success in the 1980s. The band is led by siblings Carlos and Armando de Castro, previously from the band Coz, and it is considered one of the most important representatives of Spanish hard rock bands. "Barón Rojo" in Spanish is "Red Baron", the name of the band is an homage to Manfred von Richthofen, and the eponymous song "Barón Rojo" is about him.

They were ranked number 18 on Rolling Stone's "50 Greatest Spanish rock bands".[1]

History

The band released their debut album Larga Vida al Rock and Roll in 1981, and the first single taken from the LP was Con Botas Sucias. It achieved moderate success, earning them several coverage from the media after winning a gold record selling certification.[2] To promote the album, Barón Rojo made a tour around Spain.

They moved to London for the recording of their second album Volumen Brutal (1982) on the Kingsway studios, owned by Deep Purple's frontman Ian Gillan. This album was released in two versions: One with the lyrics in Spanish and another sung in English. Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden is credited for helping them with the translation. This led the band to international success specially in England, where they graced the cover of music magazine Kerrang!. The album, which included tracks like "Los rockeros van al infierno", "Incomunicación" and "Resistiré" (Stand Up in English) sold two million copies worldwide.[3]

On 27 August 1982 Barón Rojo played at Reading music festival, along with renowned bands as Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister and Marillion.

In 1983 Metalmorfosis, their third studio album also recorded in London, was released and contained, amongst many other tracks, the well-known ballad "Siempre estás allí".

After that, they released their fourth studio album En un lugar de la marcha in 1985 with songs as "Hijos de Caín" and "Cuerdas de acero", as well as two live albums titled Barón al Rojo Vivo (1984) and Siempre Estás Allí (1986).

From then on, the band began experimenting with new elements including orchestral compositions, as it can be heard on their 1987 album Tierra de Nadie.

By the end of 1989, after they released their album Obstinato, bassist José Luis Campuzano “Sherpa” and drummer Hermes Calabria leave the band, leaving the De Castro brothers with an ever-changing formation, where components as Pepe Bao (bass) and Maxi González (vocals) stayed in the band for just one year, and Antonio del Nogal "Ramakhan" (drums) stayed for four years.

Desafío, released in 1992 and recorded in Madrid was produced by guitarist Carlos de Castro with Niko del Hierro on bass and José Antonio del Nogal "Ramakhan" playing drums.

After a two compilation albums, the studio album Arma Secreta (1997) and some legal disputes with record company Zafiro about the royalties of the previous albums, BMG released a double compilation album called Cueste lo que cueste, which included 31 hits by the band plus four new songs.

2001 saw the release of the album 20+, an allusion to the more than twenty years of existence of the band, and in 2003 the cover versions album Perversiones saw the light and featured cover versions from bands as Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and AC/DC.

Drummer Vale Rodríguez left the band in 2005, a place José Martos took again for the second time.

Singer Carlos de Castro playing live at Gernika, Spain.

By 2006 the band released Ultimasmentes, in which all the songs were sung by Carlos de Castro, except for the instrumental opening and finale.

Ángel Arias and José Martos left Barón Rojo in 2007, just after the live CD and DVD Desde Barón a Bilbao was released, and Tony Ferrer left the band in September 2008. He was replaced by former Ñu bassist Gorka Alegre.

They made a reunion concert on June 20, 2009 at the Metalway music festival in Zaragoza, with the original formation including José Luís Campuzano "Sherpa" doing vocals. That same year they released their last album yet: live album En Clave de Rock.

After their successful reunion concert at Metalway'09 they reunited again for a tour, starting and finishing in Madrid, with its first concert at "La Riviera" 30 January 2010 and the last at former bullring "Palacio de Vistalegre" 22 October 2011, where they told the concurrence about the filming of a Baron Rojo documentary.

http://www.mariskalrock.com/index.php/2011/11/02/baron-rojo-volo-sobre-vistalegre/

Even it is finished, the four original members will be on stage on 11 February in Barcelona at Palau Saint Jordi.

http://www.mariskalrock.com/index.php/2011/11/25/baron-rojo-%C2%BFuna-y-no-mas/

This means, that in the past years Baron Rojo has toured with both original and current formations, as well as with Mislata's Symphonic with whom they recorded live album En Clave de Rock (2009).

Band members

Current

Past band members

Discography

Studio Albums

Live Albums

Compilations

Singles

Other releases

References

  1. ↑ http://rollingstone.es/noticias/view/especial-rs-los-50-mejores-grupos-de-rock-espanol
  2. ↑ "Sherpa recibe el disco de oro por Larga vida al Rock n Roll de Barón Rojo 32 años después" (in Spanish). 27 January 2013.
  3. ↑ "Barón Rojo reedita 'Volumen brutal' con motivo del 25 aniversario del grupo" (in Spanish).

External links

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