Interview With Mariano Rios From Helker | “We Are A Heavy Metal Band”
Helker has been around since 1998. That is a fact that maybe many people don’t know. As well as the fact that Helker has already released 8 studio albums. Such a curriculum would reach to realize that we are in front of a band with a lot of experience and recognition in the Metal scene, and yet, for many, Helker goes unnoticed. This is not our case, of course, and that’s why we thought it was a good time to interview the historical guitarist and founder of Helker, Mariano Rios, who in this article gives us his impressions about it, going through what the latest album “Cara o Cruz” means, and also anticipating the next plans for Helker…
You are currently on tour presenting “A Cara O Cruz”, Helker’s latest album, tell us how this tour is going and what are your expectations for it?
“A Cara o Cruz is the 8th album of the band, which we released in May 2023. Luckily it was very well received by our fans. We started back in 2023 with the live presentations of this new era, reaching many provinces of our country, and we were also able to present it in Chile on two occasions. The expectations are always the same, trying to make sure that with each new album, our audience is reflected with our music and message, since our lyrics touch deep, sensitive, social and personal experiences that make people feel part of each one of them”.
“Cara O Cruz” seemed to us a very professional album, well worked and thought, how was it gestated and how was the recording process of it? What is the message and concept you wanted to convey with this album?
“Look, the album began to gestate in pandemia, there came out the first songs, but in reality, I as a composer, I did not present them to the band, except one or two only. Then we suffered the loss of 3 members, but while we were solving that issue, we did not stop in the gestation of this album, we continued to assemble songs without stopping the idea of a new album. All that process helped us to express in the lyrics the situations we have lived, that’s why it makes it a very personal and sentimental album, using that mood as a general concept, the inner strength we have to move forward, the struggle between good and evil that we have inside our thoughts, the resurgence after a fall… that’s the message we wanted to communicate”.
In general terms, how is the songwriting process of Helker’s songs? What is the inspiration for your lyrics? By the way, I must tell you that “Igual Que Vos” from “A.D.N.” is a song that represents all of us who feel and love Heavy Metal!
“Throughout the history of the band, perhaps I am the one who contributes the most songs, it is a facet that I like and serves me to express my moods and the composition serves me as a catharsis. I usually take to the guys demos of new songs and then we see all the vocal and lyrical part, that’s more or less the compositional dynamics.
“Igual que a vos“ is a song that reflects the feeling of rebellion that all of us who love Heavy Metal have, luckily people have already adopted it as a song that represents them, and that is a source of pride for us as a band”.
Throughout its history, Helker has had many changes of members, including vocalists, what influenced these circumstances and what does the current formation of the band propose?
“The reality is that everyone is taking decisions about his artistic career as time goes by, and that is where members are left on the road, because they decide to prioritize other personal or musical situations, but as founder of HELKER, for now I feel that I want to continue with the project, I still want to continue, although several times I thought about leaving everything and start with something else, but the reality is that I love HELKER, and I feel that I still have a lot to give.
Currently the band proposes to continue writing chapters to this story, continue offering the public new albums and live shows, continue to encourage us to gather at concerts to spend time with family and enjoy what we love most, which is music and communion with people.
Helker has two albums recorded in English, what repercussions did they have? Will you return in the future to record songs in English?
“In fact we have 3 albums in English, and at the moment we are working on the English version of “Cara o Cruz”, which will be released in 2025. The idea of making the albums in English, was more than anything to be able to cross borders and take our music to other countries where English is the only way to access. Thanks to that, in 2012 we signed a contract with the German label “AFM RECORDS”, we were able to tour the USA and participate in PROGPOWER in Atlanta, and then do a show of our own in New York, all under the artistic direction of Mat Sinner, bass player of Primal Fear.”
The band was always labeled as Power Metal, but with the passing of time and the albums, the band was assuming a personality of its own, what kind of influences do you have and how does it conjugate with the current sound of the band? How would you define Helker’s current style?
“We are a HEAVY METAL band, but within that label, we have our variants, turning our influences of Power metal, Hard Rock, traditional Metal, all with the current sound, looking for it to be a heavy and modern sound.”
Helker exists as a band since the ’90s, with a lot of history and experience in the scene, do you think the band has the recognition it deserves after so many years?
“I think so, but I think we were not taken into account by the people who manage this genre in our country, and we are still suffering from that, being left out or not being taken into account, for example in the big events, but we follow our path and we are faithful to our followers. We believe that with more support from the big media and labels, we would have been a much bigger and more recognized band than what we are today”.
Currently, and beyond some specific cases, National Metal doesn’t seem to have a place in the mainstream media. What do you think about it?
“I think that everything is due to the big business of music and that is what sells today. Unfortunately future generations are guided to think less and lean towards the basics without content, that’s why what is happening with all this new urban movement of “music” without content, but it is the easiest thing to put together as a product, recorded music, farty message, with lyrics that say nothing, but with a catchy rhythm for fun. Society is in decadence and cannot think or analyze what they are singing, even if they are saying something that goes against them. For example there are lyrics that denigrate women and you see thousands of women singing and dancing to these songs…..es very sad. To my children I try to transmit other values, luckily they listen to me and understand my concern!”
Linking a little with the previous question, how do you see the national scene nowadays?
“The truth I see it as always, stagnant in terms of growth, I can not believe how spectacular bands of our metal scene, are still not recognized or convening as they deserve. We are colonized by foreign music and we don’t realize that our Metal is one of the best that can exist. We dream that someday this can change and be recognized as we deserve”.
Currently there is a dichotomy between digital releases vs. physical edition, how do you see this issue and where does Helker stand in this situation? Do you think that the diffusion through digital platforms helps the Metal scene at all?
“We are from another era, where the physical CD was the reflection of a lot of work and hours of dedication. To see your songs captured on a CD is priceless. We support digital distribution, but I think the physical CD always has to be there”.
A question that for us is like a distinctive, and is that leaving aside what is religion itself, what do you think of God? Do you think there is something else after death?
“Look, it’s a very delicate subject, I believe that each person has their own god, their own belief where they seek refuge and peace when the storm approaches, where we pray for our loved ones and give thanks for what we receive. Then take it to the religion you feel most represented.”
We thank you for your time with us, and as a last question, I ask you to tell us what are the next steps for Helker in the remainder of 2025 and what projects you have in the future, plus a message for the readers….
“Luckily we have many shows scheduled for this year, touring the country and some neighboring countries. We have ahead of us the release of a DVD of the show we gave last August 2024 where we did the live presentation of “Cara o Cruz” in La Trastienda, and at the same time, we are working on a new studio album, which we have already composed in its entirety and we will be releasing singles in the second half of this year.
To the readers who know us, thank you for so many years of support despite all the line-up changes we had, you were always there, and to those of you who don’t know us, hopefully you can investigate what we do and join this great family called HELKER. Thank you!!!”
Of course, we join Mariano’s recommendation, and for those of you who don’t know them yet, or haven’t paid much attention to them, we recommend you to approach Helker’s stuff, a full-fledged Heavy Metal band. Also, we remind you that Helker has several presentations in this 2025 in several places in Argentina, so we recommend you to follow the band in their official channels for more information.
INSTAGRAM
instagram.com/helkeroficial
TWITTER
twitter.com/HelkerPrensa
SPOTIFY
open.spotify.com/artist/73UaCOx7zJtZ8HlEjTnb0Z?si=Rp8Qj7UzRE-XCJMBc6bATA
DEEZER
deezer.page.link/UiZRzu8Nz9Bw2a5V8
You can also check out our review of Helker’s latest album, “Cara o Cruz” at https://www.delotroladometal.com.ar/2025/02/25/the-eighth-is-the-triumph-helker-cara-o-cruz/
