Ícaro With Barbarie, Torre Firme, And Santy Pogonza At El Amparo Bar - 20/06/2026 |

A Night Full Of Symbolism

Argentina’s Flag Day, Father’s Day, Heredia’s birthday, the (almost) end of Ícaro, the release of their new album, and more. There were plenty of reasons for an emotional night in Burzaco, the rock ‘n’ roll town south of Buenos Aires, where the legendary Heavy Metal band began their farewell tour in the neighborhood that saw them born and raised.
In fact, Ícaro is presenting its third and final album, “Ser Libre,” and with it, embarking on a long tour throughout the country for the remainder of 2026 and into early 2027, to bring their history as a band to a close, and the night of June 20 marked Ícaro’s final stop in their hometown and birthplace—a fact that in itself made it a special occasion, with all that it entails.
The evening kicked off with a special performance. It was Santiago Pogonza, a young guitarist, who treated us to a range of progressive metal on his guitar, featuring several impressive solos and incredible speed on the six strings. With young talents like this, the future of metal is secure, guys. Santi Pogonza’s playing is phenomenal. He deservedly earned the crowd’s applause. It was truly amazing.

I had high expectations for seeing Torre Firme. Ever since I heard some of their new material, I’ve felt that this might be one of their best moments as a band. The addition of Eduardo “Turu” Paredes on vocals has been a major plus, and that’s not just evident in the new tracks they’ve posted online. Live, everything flows like never before, and for the occasion (Flag Day), the band took the stage wearing different versions of the Argentine national team’s jerseys—partly to mark the day and partly to tap into the World Cup fever we’re all feeling right now.

In about an hour, Torre Firme performed some new songs and others that had already been circulating online. They opened with “Ayúdame,” followed by “Cambiar” and “Juicio.” “Razón De Vivir” turned out to be an interesting ballad. They also played “Sanando Mi Corazón” and “El Fuego,” closing their set with “Nada Es Por Siempre.”
Torre Firme showcased their sound live, with that blend of Classic Metal and Stratovarius-style Power Metal—full of energy, intensity, and tremendous dual-guitar solos—all delivered with a tight, cohesive sound where the foundation of guitars, bass, keyboards, and drums forms a killer combo. Truly impeccable—a band to follow and keep an eye on. Fernando, one of their guitarists, told us they’ve been recording new material that will soon be available on digital platforms (if it hasn’t already been released by the time you read this). Torre Firme is the real deal and is proving to be a promising act on the scene.

Next up was Barbarie, a band that’s been around for years, with two albums out and a new lineup now featuring three guitarists, delivering an explosion of traditional, combative heavy metal with a dose of thrash in their music, emphasizing national pride and paying tribute to Argentine heroes and national figures.

Barbarie’s performance was more than interesting, as they played songs from both of their albums during their set. They opened with “Sombras Inertes” and also performed “Encuentra El Camino,” showcasing a truly heavy and compact foundation, reinforced by the sound produced by the three guitars. They also performed “La Gran Epopeya” and “Prisionero De La Traición,” tracks from their debut album. A special moment came when Barbarie invited Eduardo “Turu” Paredes on stage as a guest to sing the classic “Reflexiones” alongside Emmanuel Aquino, Barbarie’s vocalist.

Finally, the band closed out their set at the Burzaco show with “Por Estar Mejor,” bringing their performance to a close and showcasing the talent and quality found in the Argentine Metal scene. This is a great time for Barbarie to move forward and release some new stuff soon. In the meantime, the band continues to stay active and perform live as they should.

With the intro to “El Poder De La Luz,” the first track from their third and latest album, Ícaro took the stage, opening with “Para Bien O Para Mal”—a well-known song by the band that is part of “Siendo Libre,” one of the reasons for this performance. With a rock-solid lineup, led as always by Horacio Heredia on guitar and accompanied by Eduardo “Turu” Paredes on vocals (who played an active and intense role throughout the night), Pepe Guagliarello on drums, Bernie Saldivia on bass, and Santiago Rodriguez on rhythm guitar, Ícaro sounded particularly fierce and full of fury, delivering Heavy Metal in every note of every song.
This show, announced as the band’s final concert in the southern part of Buenos Aires, also served as an opportunity to present the band’s newly released album—and the perfect occasion to film the entire show, perhaps to document the moment for posterity.

“Siendo Libre” is not only the lead single from the latest album but also the title track, and it was with this song that Ícaro continued, followed by “Guardianes Del Metal,” another track from the new album. After a brief interlude, the crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to Horacio Heredia, whose birthday fell precisely on the night of June 20. After that emotional moment, another of the band’s classics took the stage: “Sin Temor,” undoubtedly one of their finest works, alongside “Luz En La Oscuridad,” which also rang out on this very special night.
But in addition to the classics, it was also time for Ícaro to showcase their new stuff live, and so they performed the new version of “Luchando Por Sobrevivir” and “Despierta Argentina,” a new song during which “Turu” Paredes took the opportunity to unfurl an Argentine flag during his performance, coinciding with Flag Day and the national spirit that Ícaro carries in its music and heart.

“Castillos De Arena” is arguably one of the best tracks on the new album, and here we got to hear it live, this time with “Turu” Paredes on vocals. What followed were two heavy classics from their second album: “Espíritu Guerrero” and the well-known “Muerte Al Falso Metal,” with Paredes brandishing a sword—just as he had done during “Siendo Libre”—and the crowd chanting along to every verse of a true Heavy Metal anthem.
To round things off, the night came to a close with “Heavy Metal,” featuring Emmanuel Aquino from Barbarie as a guest this time. It was definitely a metal party. We also heard a few more tracks from the new album, including “Somos Y Seremos” and “Corre En Mis Venas,” before closing out the show—as is almost customary—with “Como Un Kamikaze,” confirming that the night of June 20 at “El Amparo” was a historic event for Ícaro. A magnificent metal show that marked the perfect moment for a grand farewell—just what the band deserves after 26 years on the scene.

This may have been the last time we see Ícaro perform live in this region and in Buenos Aires. Still, all is not lost. There’s a new opportunity in September when Ícaro takes the stage again, supporting Kamikaze on their return to the stage. In the meantime, it’s time for the long tour that will take the band through several provinces in Argentina, bringing this previously announced finale to life—a finale that will leave a significant legacy for the Argentine Heavy Metal scene.
What will remain are the memories, the legacy, their new and third album, surely the images from this show, and the mark they’ve left on the hearts of all of us who love Heavy Metal.