Volumen brutal

BARON ROJO – VOLUMEN BRUTAL.

“Volumen Brutal” is Baron Rojo’s most famous and one of their best albums. It was released back in 1982 when traditional metal was the law and of course it sounds like those English traditional metal bands. Cathy melodies, sharp primitive metal/hard rock riffage and a really polished production for 1982 turn “Volumen Brutal” into one of the first Spanish-speaking metal essential releases.
Lots of nice harmonies and solos by the guitar duo composed by the De Castro brothers, some good drum fills and an enjoyable if a bit generic vocal approach make this a worthy primitive speed metal album with a really impressive historical significance.

This album has some really catchy and nifty speed metal numbers like the opener “Incomunicación” which is carried by an orgasmic riff and contains intense dual harmonies. We have the mid-paced anthem “Los Rockeros Van Al Infierno” which deals with the issue of rockers going to hell because they are sinners and it features a godly melodic solo. The balladesque “Dame La Oportunidad” which is a decent track by itself but compared to the rest it seems quite weak. “Son Como Hormigas” is a nice mid-paced melodic hard rock number. Next is “Las Flores Del Mal” which is a nice tribute (not to say a rip-off) to Iron Maiden’s “Prowler”. It borrows Maiden’s melodic arrangement played along with the riff, it moves at the same pace and it even features a very similar vocal melody.

“Resistiré” is another speed metal number carried by a kind of proto-thrash riff and supertight drumming. This song clearly resembles into something that could have easily been released by one of the N.W.O.B.H.M titans as for example: Raven. “Satanico Plan (Volumen Brutal)” and “Concierto Para Ellos” are both mid-paced tune that while different between them they have the same effect on me. They are good but not something that makes me headbang as a possessed motherfucker like “Resistire”, “Rockero Indomable” or “Anda Suelto Satanas”. Then we have a really enjoyable and tight primitive heavy metal tune in the form of “Hermano Del Rock & Roll” which moves at mid pace and it features a masterful riff. The album ends with the instrumental “El Baron Vuela Sobre Inglaterra” which has the same structure as the early Iron maiden instrumental songs, but I seem to like this one a bit more than the Iron Maiden ones. No, it’s not a reek of stupid fanboyism or something similar; I am being 100% objective. This instrumental is one of the best I’ve heard in my life.

Conclusion: It’s primitive, it’s loud, it’s from 1982 and it’s HEAVY METAL. Go for it.