Jason: Justiciero Arcaico | Justice Was Done
(2025 – Cuervo Records)
A new reissue of another classic of Argentine Heavy Metal, and this time it’s Jason’s turn with their first official album, the legendary “Justiciero Arcaico,” which was originally released in 1997 and, as in many other cases, was completely out of print. Thanks to the local label “Cuervo Records,” who are doing a great job of reissuing a lot of out-of-print material, we have this 2025 version of an Argentine metal classic, and also a band that always flew the flag of professionalism and musical virtuosity within the scene.
What Jason attempted in those years may not have aroused much interest, at least not for those who chase after what is fashionable. Classic and traditional metal was overwhelmed by the new waves of European-style power metal that flooded the scene. Today, the content of “Justiciero Arcaico” evokes other feelings, in addition to the inevitable nostalgia, and claims a place in the pantheon of Argentine metal. It is also a way to review what Jason achieved in this “Justiciero Arcaico” with a collection of very well-structured songs that are truly astonishing in their complexity and virtuosity.
What’s more, this new edition is a way of doing justice to an album that many overlooked, and in fact, we are talking about an album that, although it can be classified within classic metal or progressive hard rock, has interesting ingredients that give Jason an unmatched personality.
It is perhaps the band’s self-referential song. “J.A.S.O.N.” is not only the first song on the album, but also a declaration of principles and a heavy metal anthem. An impeccable way to start an album, without a doubt! And with “Juez Verdugo Y Tumba De Mi Libertad” (Judge Executioner and Grave of My Freedom), we find a polished mix of classic heavy metal, hard rock, and progressive passages that really raise the bar, but it seems that with “Ideal Inmortal” (Immortal Ideal), the inspiration rises and Jason delivers a semi-stuck march song with an extremely complex compositional structure and lyrics that really make you think.
“Mamita Querida” is one of those ballads that make you think. Built on the basis of a traditional Argentine song, it has tremendously profound lyrics and a guitar solo as heartbreaking as the song itself. Next up is “Falsa Ley”; framed in traditional heavy metal, with a solid foundation and fierce riffs, Jason delivers another of his classic anthems. Things get heavier with “Nube Negra,” a song with dry, sharp riffs and a lower tone, but undoubtedly another of the great moments of “Justiciero Arcaico.”
It was a bold move to cover a folk song by the great Horacio Guarany (a legendary Argentine folk singer), demonstrating that Argentine heavy metal has that distinctive protest song style that much of Argentine folk music has cultivated over the years. Musically, it is a great interpretation and adaptation to Jason’s metal sound.
With “Lamentos Desde El Mar,” Jason achieves that difficult balance between traditional metal foundations and riffs more typical of hard rock, something that the band has cultivated greatly over the years, while “Castillo De Ilusión” takes us through the most classic heavy metal.
The original edition of “Justiciero Arcaico” gave us as its last track a cover of Black Sabbath’s “Heaven And Hell” in an excellent live version, which is logically also included here; however, there was also an extra song hidden behind the Sabbath cover. It was an instrumental piece, actually called “El Vuelo De La Larva,” which is now also included, with the difference that it is listed as track number 13. Here we can enjoy the sublime performance of Ariel Ranieri, one of Argentina’s best guitarists, who is really very underrated, as he has never been given the importance that his genius deserves.
As a bonus track, this new edition of “Justiciero Arcaico” includes Jason’s cover of the well-known song by the Spanish band Baron Rojo, “Hijos De Caín,” which originally appeared on the tribute to the Spanish band entitled “El Barón Vuela Sobre Argentina.”
“Justiciero Arcaico” was not only Jason’s first album. It is also a way of defining what Jason is all about, something quite difficult, especially given the great personality that the band has managed to imprint on its own music, which, like everything else, has its influences but which managed to capture in this first step an originality and sound of its own that it has deepened over the years. Much of this has been achieved through a complex web of compositions with structures that stray from the classic formulas of metal, bringing together guitarist Ariel Ranieri, primarily responsible for the impressive riffs and solos, and the voice of Tano Maiorell, key to the depth and feeling of each song. To this must be added the contribution of Ariel Basaldua’s keyboards, Claudio Durante’s interesting bass lines, and Diego Michel’s percussion accompaniment. The sum of all these ingredients and great musicians results in a more than positive equation. In fact, “Justiciero Arcaico” features several Jason classics and sowed the first seeds of what the band would achieve much later.
This new edition features a remastering that greatly enhances the sound of the original album, which was done by Ariel Ranieri himself at the Crazy Rabbit studios, rounding off a great job in terms of sound. In addition, the album has a cover similar to the original but expanded, with much more detail and a reinterpreted band logo, which in a way respects the original design. The inner sleeve contains the lyrics to the songs and a photograph of the band from those years.
Jason recently returned to performing live. We do not yet know if the band will continue as in the old days, if there will be new music, or what will happen in the end. Logically, the final word rests with the protagonists themselves. The important thing is the “rescue,” if you will, of the band’s material that had been discontinued in physical format and, thanks to the label “Cuervo Records,” is once again available in a version that honors and improves in every way on the edition that many will remember from those years. Justice has been served, and “Justiciero Arcaico,” a classic of Argentine metal, is once again available.
We leave you with Jason’s and the label’s social media contacts so you can find out more about this reissue and stay tuned, as the band has promised a complete reissue of their discography. We’ll have to wait for more news, and in the absence of video clips of songs from this album, we’ll give you a taste of what this album was like so you can hear what it’s all about….
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