Opeth bassist Martín Mendéz' second musical playground, White Stones, have released their third studio album, Memoria Viva, today via Reigning Phoenix Music (North American CD release - July 26; Vinyl - August 9).
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. Another perfect example of White Stones' unique creation is their rendition of Patricio Rey Y Sus Redonditos De Ricota’s “Vencedores Vencidos.” The song's introduction seduces fans with uplifting melodies alongside Mendéz' clocklike bass playing before Eloi Boucherie's initially whispery vocal patterns pull each and everything into the driving maelstrom.
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 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."
Pre-order the album in the physical format of your choice [CD-digipak; sepia marbled vinyl LP (eco-friendly recycled, every copy is one of a kind!)], pre-save it on your favourite DSP or pre-order it digitally now at this location.
Memoria Viva was recorded at Farm Of Sounds Studios (Barcelona, Spain), and mixed & mastered by Gerard Porqueres at Heartwork Recording Studios.
Martín adds, "Making an album in Spanish is something that I wanted to do for a long time. 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."
"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!" comments vocalist Eloi Boucherie.
The lineup has been enhanced with the participation of the multi-faceted Joan Carles Marí Tur on drums. The guitar solos were the job of João Sassetti. Additional guests José Ignacio Lagos (flute) and Joakim Svalberg (keyboards) accentuated the album further with their sound facets.
Tracklisting:
“Memoria Viva”
“Humanoides”
“D-Generación”
“Zamba de Orun”
“La Ira”
“Somos”
“Grito al Silencio”
“Vencedores Vencidos”
“Yemayá”
“La Ira” video:
(Photo - Sandra Artigas)
