Barbarie: Hacia Un Nuevo Horizonte | The Homeland Above All
(2017 – Independent)
It’s true, this album is nothing new for those who regularly delve into the Argentine Heavy Metal underground scene, nor will the name Barbarie be unfamiliar to them, but considering that we were recently able to get our hands on a physical copy of this album, we think it’s worth taking a closer look at it, noting also that “Hacia Un Nuevo Horizonte” is, so far, the band’s latest album.
And the truth is that if anyone has overlooked this album by Barbarie, they’re missing out on a traditional Heavy Metal record that impresses with its cohesion, its sound, and its great anthems, all framed within a distinctly Argentine national identity. This is because the themes in Barbarie’s songs and lyrics revolve around national history and the defense of national identity, placing strong emphasis on various stories about national heroes and Argentina’s historical struggles—a theme that is sometimes interwoven with personal, positive lyrics as well as social and political commentary.
But beyond this very notable characteristic of Barbarie, the truth is that “Hacia Un Nuevo Horizonte” has a well-executed traditional metal background, featuring varied moments and moods, solid compositions, and an overall structure that stands out for the high quality evident throughout the album.
Barbarie’s music is further enhanced by the vocal timbre of Emmanuel Aquino, the band’s lead singer, who brings a distinct color to what is typically expected of a vocalist in a traditional Metal band; to this must be added the various melodies and harmonies that accompany the fierce riffs in each song on this work.
It’s not that Barbarie has distilled the entire history of Argentine Heavy Metal into their music, but rather that they draw on their own personality to craft an album with its own distinct characteristics; and while there are varied influences, the truth is that their approach lies in trying something different.
The album opens with “1806,” which recounts the story of the British invasions of Buenos Aires during precisely those years, in a piece of furious Heavy Metal—grand at times—with that combative, anthem-like rhythm that is very much a hallmark of Barbarie. We experience something similar when listening to the second track on this album, specifically “Encuentra El Camino,” which features a steady, warlike march—the kind of Metal anthem meant to lift the spirits, as it should.
“Huellas De Sangre” is an epic ballad, featuring a galloping rhythm and tremendous guitar solos, while “Soldado De Libertad” stays firmly in the vein of traditional and classic Metal, with great intensity and truly spine-tingling, highly catchy choruses.
With “Vencer El Miedo,” the band veers toward a sound closer to hard rock—without losing its heavy edge—displaying much greater finesse and versatility to explore a different path and experiment with varied sonic textures, while “La Ira De Dios” is pure riff-driven aggression, speed, and intensity, driving the track with the furious melody for which heavy metal is known.
“Nadie Nos Detendrá” strays a bit from Barbarie’s usual formula, exploring a different compositional structure without compromising their commitment to metal, managing to sound heavy without relying as heavily on melody; and with “Hacia Un Nuevo Horizonte,” we get an interesting instrumental track and an excellent string arrangement that precedes a gentle melody, with the guitars orchestrating the whole thing.
To wrap things up, we have two more great Metal anthems, which in a way serve as bonus tracks since they’re actually new versions of songs from the band’s debut album, “Batallas De Liberación”; First up is “Prisionero De La Traición,” a fast-paced, galloping track featuring guest guitarist Alejo León, who delivers a resonant viola solo that truly deserves a tip of the hat; and closing out the album is “Reflexiones,” featuring another stellar guest appearance—this time by Norberto Rodriguez (VAGO and Temple)—who lends his distinctive vocals to a mid-tempo track that elevates the harmony and melody to new heights with a striking chorus that turns it into a true anthem of pure Heavy Metal.
In short, “Hacia Un Nuevo Horizonte” is a great traditional metal album—direct, seamless, and featuring a simple structure but strong songs, which is ultimately what matters. It’s in each of the tracks that we can see high creative quality, drawing on the classic elements of metal purism and elevating them to the level of anthems—the kind that shake you out of your drowsiness and make you raise your fist in the air. There’s plenty of that, and then some.
Also worth noting is the cohesion achieved in the album’s production, which captures a unique and distinct sound throughout the entire record—a sound that is firm and powerful, with a strong foundation where both the guitars and bass lines stand out clearly. It’s truly a very polished sound.
The graphic design of “Hacia Un Nuevo Horizonte”—created by Laura Innes and Gimena Zamorano for the inner booklet—is also noteworthy. Featuring an allegorical painting that reflects Barbarie’s theme—distinctly national and Argentine—the inner booklet contains the lyrics to each song, along with illustrations that allude to each track, plus a retouched photograph of the band from that time. It’s truly an excellent graphic edition.
But as is often the case with almost all bands in the local scene, Barbarie—perhaps unfairly—has gone unnoticed like so many other bands, since they don’t have a record label or media outlets to promote their work. That’s why we thought it would be good to highlight an album that’s truly worth checking out, both for the effort put into it and the quality achieved—all done independently and, without a doubt, with a lot of guts. Getting to know Barbarie and their music is, in a way, getting closer to traditional Heavy Metal—purely Argentine in character—and performed in an excellent manner.
Here’s the track “Reflexiones,” recorded this time with one of the local scene’s greatest vocalists, Norberto Rodriguez, which is truly a fierce Metal anthem; and as always, here are Barbarie’s social media links so you can follow them closely, get this excellent album, and stay tuned for their latest news and tour dates….
https://www.facebook.com/BarbarieMetal
https://www.instagram.com/barbarie_metal_nacional
