Mortification, Bride, Whitecross, And More? | Past Tours And Those To Come…
Latin America has always been a tough market for international tours by the big names in so-called “White Metal.” Getting top-tier bands to come here has never been easy, and on top of that, media coverage has been lacking, resulting in a near-total absence of activity in this scene.
The idea that “Christian” Metal is just crazy, or a contradiction, has worked against the movement. This is true both externally (speaking of the Metal scene in general) and internally, which is where perhaps the most reservations were raised when it came to supporting the movement or initiatives in this regard.
It was surely Petra, back in the now-distant ’90s, that was the first band to gain a foothold in the region. At least as far as Argentina is concerned, I can attest that this was the case, with a very tentative start marked by more or less sporadic visits from some familiar faces and others less so—some of whom, one might argue, had a tenuous connection to what is strictly Heavy Metal.
It wasn’t “normal.” Here, unlike in the United States, there was no band circuit, no scene, no media, nothing. Everything was always very underground. Very niche, as they say. But little by little, very slowly, some performances by certain bands began to appear in the region.
Guardian in almost all of Latin America (with the advantage of having recorded albums in Spanish as well), Bride in Brazil, Whitecross led by Scott Wenzel. Not much more than that is what we had in the ’90s.
Speaking of metal—direct and extreme—Mortification were the first who, in 2001, dared to cross the “pond” and make the leap to Chile, Argentina, Brazil, etc., and embark on a tour that remains in the memory of all of us who were able to attend. It was absolute madness. But what could have been the spearhead for others to make the leap remained just that.
Over time, Mortification’s story became a legend, a myth—all of which can be clearly seen on the DVD they released, aptly titled “Conquer The World,” which contains previously unseen footage from that tour.
It’s true, some bands did start coming later. Stryper several times, Bride always with their sights set on Brazil, where they enjoy enormous popularity, and even in recent years we’ve seen the controversial As I Lay Dying, Narnia (now a staple on their South American tours), and even Demon Hunter or P.O.D. here, and I don’t want to forget Rob Rock either.
Brazil has always been a special case. It wasn’t just Bride; in Rio de Janeiro, they’ve also enjoyed visits from Antestor, Seventh Avenue, etc., but it was only there that things seemed to be taken much more seriously than in the other countries in the region.
Last year—that is, 2025—was a year of several important visits. Stryper on their Latin American tour, Bride and Narnia in Brazil (the latter didn’t tour the region this time as they usually do, and the Americans also stopped in Costa Rica), P.O.D. alongside Demon Hunter, Living Sacrifice for the first time in South America—though only in Brazil—and I think that’s about it, unless I’m forgetting someone.
2026 began with the confirmation of Tourniquet’s tour of Mexico, Costa Rica, and Guatemala for August of this year—a significant development considering that the band, revived in recent years by Gary Lenaire and Luke Easter, has no other shows scheduled at this time.
Bride, who are bidding farewell to the stage and bringing their career to a close, couldn’t pass up the chance to visit Brazil, and they will, but they’ll also take the opportunity to visit Costa Rica and Colombia between November and December 2026, and furthermore, alongside a Christian heavy metal legend like Les Carlsen, the legendary vocalist of Bloodgood. For their part, Whitecross, led by Rex Carroll and their new vocalist, will also return to Brazil, though for now, this is their only scheduled stop in the region.
We also don’t want to overlook the upcoming tours by Memphis May Fire alongside Bless The Fall on one hand, and Fit For A King on the other—metalcore bands whose roots can be traced back to the Christian music scene, so to speak—but who will be performing in 2026 across several Latin American countries, which is no small matter and certainly worth mentioning.
But the most striking news is the confirmation of Mortification’s return to Latin America. This is significant not only because of what Mortification represents but also because the return is happening specifically in Latin America, with Chile as the tour’s first stop—where fans will see the band perform for the first time in just over 10 years since their last live show, and they won’t be alone; Terraphobia, the Australian thrash band led by Mick Jelinic (who will also be performing with Mortification), will also be there for the first time.
Will anyone else be touring the region in 2027? Well, nothing is confirmed yet, but Stryper is expected to visit Latin America again to present their new album, which does not yet have a confirmed release date. However, considering statements made by Michael Sweet himself in a recent interview with this publication and the tour announced by the band for the remainder of this year in the United States, it is most likely that 2027 will be the year of Stryper’s return to Latin America.
Narnia is another band set to release a new album, and since they’re already a staple on tours in this part of the world, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to imagine them as part of a regional tour—but could there be more to it? For now, there’s no news on anything.
It’s not easy to organize a tour. It’s not just a matter of hopping on a plane and coming to tour Argentina, Chile, or Peru. A tour involves a whole set of logistics, production, and resources that are currently lacking. Also—and this is a key factor—the lack of exposure for many bands makes it risky to invest in a show for this or that band without knowing how many people would actually show up. And this is a decisive factor. We live in an era where support is all about social media, just lip service, but when it comes down to it, nobody shows up, and this happens constantly at the few shows where local bands usually perform. That’s not a good sign, especially for investing in an international band. Things to discuss and change as well.
Hopefully this will change, for the better. We already have some things confirmed. Tourniquet in Central America in August 2026, Bride in Brazil, Colombia, and Costa Rica at the end of the year alongside Les Carlsen, and Mortification in February 2027, touring Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. Let’s hope more dates and more visits get confirmed, and above all, that many more tours by bands that have never come before can happen. People in Latin America also have their place on the world map and are waiting for more. Let’s hang in there!!!!
