Busuk Chronicles Metal Webzine: NEW INTERVIEW: Our first interview with HORCAS (Buenos Aires, Argentina Thrash Metal Legends)

Legendary Buenos Aires Thrash Metal band HORCAS. HORCAS is best known for its debut album Reinará la tempestad [1991] [average rating on Metal Archives = 96%] and its second album Oíd mortales el grito sangrado [1992] [average rating on Metal Archives = 96%].

INTRODUCTION:

Horcas played with many legendary bands, such as Metallica, Exodus, Kreator, Iron Maiden, etc.

Horcas continued after Osvaldo Civile's death, so currently there is no original member.

Compilation appearances:
- "Brigadas metálicas", V8 no murió - Tributo a V8 (NEMS Enterprises, 2001).
- "Creeping Death", Maténlos a todos - Tributo argentino a Metallica (4G Discos, 2003).
- "Children of the Grave", Sabbath Crosses - Tributo a Black Sabbath (Blackstar Crosses Productions, 2004).
- "Turbo Lover", Acero argentino - Tributo a Judas Priest (4G Discos, 2006).

Kieran James: Hi, can you tell us brief history of the band and when and how you came to join. Also please tell us the current line-up.

Lucas Simcic1) Osvaldo Civile formed Horcas back in 1986, came to play in v8 The first heavy metal band in Argentina, have spent many musicians for the band, but that never prevented the band leaving the Argentina metal scene, in 1999 Osvaldo Civile dies and the current members decided to continue with the name of the band to keep alive the legacy of its creator.

I joined the band in 2011, my role was previously being guitar technician (roadie) a dream for me to play in one of the bands I saw throughout my adolescence, I will always be eternally grateful for the opportunity to play in Horcas.

The band throughout its history has recorded 12 albums shared the stage with bands like Exodus, pantera, black sabbath, megadeth, metallica.
today the current formation is made up of:
Norberto "Topo" yañez : Bass guitar
Sebastian Coria: Guitar
Walter meza: Voice
Lucas "Castor" Simcic: Guitar
Mariano Elias Martin: Drums

2 As mentioned earlier, an Argentinian friend of mine introduced me to Horcas along with Almafuerte and Hermetica. I bought the Oíd mortales el grito sangrado album [1992] and really loved all of it especially the first song. I felt like you can really hear how it is a unique product of the time and place it was recorded. I can imagine walking past some Buenos Aires back street bar in 1991 and hearing your music playing through the window. Do you think the Spanish lyrics stopped the band making it big overseas or was it due to bad timing or other factors? (I like the sound of the Spanish lyrics myself and I think they suit metal).

2)In those years to be Metalhead in Argentina was frowned upon by society, they were treated as rebels people, anti system, drug addicts. Go to a concert was very difficult because the police always came out with buses to the shows came and carried to jail anyone. We were persecuted by society, we also came years ago from a military dictatorship and the war cry began with punk bands and heavy metal, for example V8 and Los Violadores.
Singing in English was frowned upon but was not the idea of the band either, the idea was to have a message to convey and that people understand.

3 What countries has the band toured and where was the response best and the crowds biggest (outside Argentina)?

3)We have travelled many countries in Latin America such as Ecuador, Venezuela, Mexico, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay. We have also gone to Spain.
Now we are preparing to go first to the United States to play six shows in different states.

4 Do you feel that the band might make it outside South America finally with the upcoming album? The internet offers so many new possibilities. Now you can reach fans in the Indonesian countryside or anywhere else in the world.

4) I think music has no borders, the Internet is another tool to disseminate what we do, maybe someday we can go there, it would be a dream!

5 Please tell us more about the progress on the new album and the style of music. Will you finally try out some English lyrics?

5) Each record is different always have to stand in front of social and personal context we are living, we are a classic band in Argentina and do we like to play heavy / thrash metal from the heart of us. We hope to do something with lyrics in English would be fu.n

6 The vocalists of Horcas, Almafuerte, and Hermetica to me sound very similar to me. Is there an Argentinian vocal style? The vocals sound so strong and powerful and honest without being death-metal guttural growls. Was that due to the real problems in Argentina making tough people compared to now when western bands living comfortable lives try to sound aggressive but fail?

6) Singers that marked a way of singing with Claudio O'Connor (Herman's Hermits) and Ricardo Iorio (Almafuerte) perhaps because they have been the bigger heavy metal bands of Argentina.

7 Have you heard anything about the Indonesian metal scene which is booming now? Sepultura's ethnic-tribal thing was a huge influence there in the mid-1990s when their scene was beginning. Check out death-metal bands Death Vomit from Jogjakarta and Saffar from Bandung. For melodic power-metal with rough vocals try Valerian from Surabaya.

7)I've never heard bands over there but it will be an honour to take a look at the bands that you recommend!!!

8 Are there touring plans for the new album?

8) A new record makes us go on tour to present everywhere we can.

We are a band that plays almost 100/120 shows per year.