Harpya, Ojos Negros, In-Dios, Armored Dawn, Reinará La Tempestad, and Zamarbide - Teatro Greison, Monte Grande - 12/08/2025 |

La Cumbre Del Metal No. 40

There is a lot of anticipation for the 40th edition of one of the most important events in the Argentine underground scene, which, worth repeating, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. It is worth noting time and again how fundamental La Cumbre Del Metal has been historically for the Argentine Metal movement, in an event where thousands of national bands have been able to showcase their talent in each edition.

This edition was not only special because of the 40th anniversary, but also because it featured the participation of two legends of national Heavy Metal: Hugo Benitez, with Reinará La Tempestad, and Alberto Zamarbide, who paradoxically is paying tribute to two fundamental works of Argentine metal: “Generación Mutante” by Logos (30 years since its release) and “Un Paso Más En La Batalla” by V8 (also celebrating its 40th anniversary).
Benitez and Zamarbide weren’t the only ones there. As always, there were various offerings from up-and-coming bands on the national underground scene, some with a long history and experience on the scene, and the unique performance by the Brazilian band Armored Dawn, which surprised more than a few people, but as this is a long story, let’s take it step by step.

It is worth highlighting the organization of La Cumbre Del Metal, which was so perfect that it was scary to see everything announced come true to the letter. Incredible and, of course, something to highlight. The sound was perfect for all the bands, who managed to display their different offerings with a quality that allowed them to be enjoyed as they should be. In that sense, another reason to highlight.
The crowd got into the spirit, and the sold-out Teatro Greison was another reason to show that national Metal is more alive than ever.
The scheduled start time was 5 p.m. Of course, we were there to witness the entire event from the very beginning. The first band to take the stage was Harpya, a local band from the Esteban Echeverría area (South of Buenos Aires) with a long history in the underground scene. In about half an hour, they played their traditional Heavy Metal-focused set, heavily influenced by Black Sabbath, Motorhead, and everything Metal from the ’70s and ’80s, with a distinctly Argentine style and idiosyncrasy.

Harpya kicked off their set with an intro that gave us a little preview of what they were all about. So Black Sabbath’s “Symptom Of The Universe” with its furious riff opened the door to Harpya’s first song, followed by “Budge,” “Transilvania,” among other songs from their repertoire. With lyrics of clear social content, Harpya combines the aforementioned influences with a national sentiment that is reflected in the harshness of their riffs and bass lines. The band had a good sound, something characteristic of the entire event, which is to be applauded.

But if we’re talking about Heavy Metal with a national idiosyncrasy, Ojos Negros has the answer. The band, originally from the western part of Buenos Aires, which has been fighting for years, started their set with an old song from their first album, “Lágrimas de Odio,” and thus combined old songs with some newer ones such as “Sin Temor” and “Demencia.”

Ojos Negros’ style and music are deeply influenced by the Buenos Aires suburbs. The result is a Heavy Thrash sound, influenced by bands of the genre such as Hermética, Tren Loco, etc., that is impossible to ignore. The band from the west is an ear-crushing force that flies the flag of old-school national Heavy Metal with a lot of grit and fury. Their performance at La Cumbre Del Metal ended with two old favorites, “Por Monedas” and “Macho Bravío.”

I was really looking forward to seeing and hearing In-Dios live. We already had the opportunity to listen to and review their latest album “Ultimatum,” so I had high expectations for them, and judging by what we saw on stage at the Teatro Greison, they not only exceeded my expectations but really killed it.
An intro set the stage for In-Dios’ entrance, who kicked off their set at La Cumbre Del Metal with “No Soy Tu Esclavo” from their 2016 EP. They took the opportunity to present songs from their latest album, playing “Fuego En Mi Interior” and “Pobre Mente.” In any case, their setlist was varied, as they even dared to play old material such as “Almas Negras,” “Mundo Inmundo,” and the impressive “Sintiendo El Metal,” a true Heavy Metal anthem.

The finale came with a masterful cover of Judas Priest’s “Electric Eyes,” making it clear that In-Dios is serious business. We said it in our review of Ultimatum, and we confirm it now. The band sounds incredible live, and vocalist Daniel Medina, who also sings for Tren Loco, has what it takes to put on a high-quality show. The band is not far behind, and the double guitar solos are simply excellent.

Perhaps they were the band that aroused the most curiosity. Maybe because we didn’t know much about them, but Armored Dawn, a band from Brazil, quickly dispelled any doubts. Their musical style is difficult to describe, but it can be said that they play a mixture of Power Heavy Metal and Progressive Metal, with a perhaps epic imprint and a clear inclination towards Viking culture. Perhaps not an entirely original combination, but one that could nevertheless set them apart at the Cumbre Del Metal.

Armored Dawn is not a new band. In fact, they have been releasing several albums since 2016. The band is a sextet that includes a talented vocalist, Eduardo Parras, a drummer, a bassist, and three guitarists! Thus, in the style of Iron Maiden (with some differences, of course), the Brazilians managed to win over an audience (myself included) that was unfamiliar with their music.
They sounded great and in just over 45 minutes, they presented the most interesting of their material, as well as a Spanish version of their song Free (“Libre”) that got the crowd singing along. It was a great performance by the Brazilian band, earning widespread applause despite the “difference” of their sound compared to the rest of the lineup.

It is worth noting that some members of Armored Dawn have previously played in metal bands with Christian content, such as drummer Ivan Busic (Shining Star), guitarist Timo Kaarkoski (Uniao), and keyboardist/guitarist Rafael Agostino (Eterna).
Hugo Benitez is an institution in Argentine Heavy Metal. Despite some people’s attempts to make him invisible, he has made his mark on the history of Metal here in Argentina, not only as the vocalist of the most visceral and thrashy part of Horcas, but also through his contribution to the composition of classic metal songs, his distinctive voice, and his message.

That’s why his current group, Reinará La Tempestad, was eagerly awaited by the audience. Hugo Benitez’s band revisits old Horcas stuff from their two unbeatable first albums, including true classics such as “Cosas Enfermas,” “Azotes Del Mundo,” “Falsa Fe,” “Violados y Devorados,” among others. Excuse me, but these songs have a different flavor when sung by Hugo, added to the fact that the band accompanying him (with the legendary Gabriel “Ganzo” Gonzalez on drums and Cristian Fernandez on guitar, who would later repeat with Zamarbide) gives it that Thrash Metal touch that the current Horcas lost along the way. We’re not going to get into what everyone already knows about that issue, but the truth must be told. Hugo Benitez and Reinará La Tempestad bring us the old and beloved Horcas of their early days, and in the best way possible, with many songs that the current Horcas hardly ever plays in their shows.

The audience got the message, so it was no surprise that the metalheads responded enthusiastically to every song that was played. Reinará La Tempestad ended with two Argentine Metal classics, “Solución Suicida” and “Devastación.” It was impressive, and there was still more to come.
Zamarbide returned for a mini tour of the interior of Argentina, once again paying tribute to the albums “Generación Mutante” by Logos and “Un Paso Más En La Batalla” by V8 (30th and 40th anniversaries, respectively), just as he did during the month of September this year with some changes in the lineup of the band accompanying him. On this occasion, the performance at La Cumbre Del Metal was the only one scheduled for Buenos Aires, and Mariano Brascich was not present on guitar, leaving Cristian Fernandez as the only guitarist, and Marcos Gianfrancesco on drums, replacing Fernando Scarcella who had done the same in September. As always, Walter Scasso was present on bass.

The set list proposed by Zamarbide was almost identical to the one in September, and I say almost because there were some subtle differences. This time, the show started with “Arden En El Cielo,” the first song from “Generación Mutante,” and although Zamarbide played part of that album, he did not play more than what was already expected from that record. Among others, they played “Necios”, “Muerte Sin Gloria”, “Decide Por Ti Mismo”, “Cuando Acecha La Maldad” and the well-known “Generación Mutante”. In between, Alberto Zamarbide shared several stories, including anecdotes about his time in southern Argentina, particularly in the town of Pico Truncado, where he met a soccer club called Logos FC.

What followed was V8’s album Un Paso Más En La Batalla in its entirety, with the difference that they almost overlooked “Camino Al Sepulcro,” which was played last. After a short break, Zamarbide and the band that accompanied him performed two Logos classics. “Cómo Relámpago En La Oscuridad” and “No Te Rindas” further electrified the audience.
The finale was almost identical to September’s show at Groove. “Destrucción” was chosen as the closing song, once again with Zamarbide and Hugo Benitez on vocals, providing a fitting end to the occasion. La Cumbre Del Metal had a fitting ending for the occasion and for what it means for the national Metal underground. For us, it was truly the show of the year, as we not only had the opportunity to enjoy Zamarbide once again with the anthems that make up two classic albums by Logos and V8, but also we must add the contribution of Reinará La Tempestad and the rest of the bands that made the 40th edition of La Cumbre Del Metal more than just a party, but a true tribute to national Heavy Metal, which once again proves that it is standing tall and more alive and fierce than ever!