OPETH bassist Martín Mendéz‘ second musical playground, WHITE STONES, proudly releases their third studio album, Memoria Viva, via Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM) today (vinyl: August 9). The nine tracks continue Mendéz‘ own approach to progressive death metal and take listeners into a soundscape which is even graced with impactful Spanish lyrics this time. Another perfect example of WHITE STONES‘ unique creations is their adaption of ‘Vencedores Vencidos’: The song’s introduction seduces fans with rather positive melodies alongside Martín‘s clocklike bass playing before Eloi Boucherie‘s firstly whispery vocal patterns pull each and everything in – to just never let them out of this driving maelstrom again.
“PATRICIO REY Y SUS REDONDITOS DE RICOTA is a band that had a great impact on my youth. They’re a mythical Argentinian rock band and very well known all over Latin America, in particular in the 80s and 90s. ‘Vencedores Vencidos’ is one of their all-time classics and I feel honoured to have a cover by them on our album!” states Mendéz.
Eloi adds, “‘Vencedores Vencidos’ is one of the great classical hits from the Argentinian rock music scene, and it was a real challenge and unforgettable experience to make a cover of this immortal song. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we did reinterpreting it.”
Listen to ‘Vencedores Vencidos’ on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Order the album in your preferred physical format [CD-digipak or marbled vinyl LP], stream it on your favourite digital service provider (DSP), or order it digitally now, here: https://whitestones.rpm.link/
Much like its predecessors, Memoria Viva melts together disparate genres into a unique sonic experience. The instrumental frenzy migrates with delicate intricacies creating a mesmerizing atmosphere captivating the musical connoisseur. To up the antics, the energetic Spanish language was chosen to round up this multi-faceted endeavor. A treat for anyone who enjoys devouring multi-experimental musicianship!
Elements of aggression, that can be seen rearing their head in instrumental frenzies, manage to co-exist along softer vibes, generating a distinct dynamic among the songs, with interludes allowing listeners to take a breath and appreciate what they’re hearing.
WHITE STONES‘ Memoria Viva was recorded at Farm Of Sounds Studios (Barcelona, Spain), and mixed & mastered by Gerard Porqueres at Heartwork Recording Studios.
Martín adds, “Making an album in Spanish is something that I wanted to do for a long time. We tried it out with our second record “Dancing Into Oblivion,” but at the time we couldn’t convince ourselves that it worked on that album. This time we did and I feel very proud of the result.”
“One of the most notable aspects of this new album, apart from not setting any creative limits musically, has been the challenge of having proposed to sing in the Spanish language. It has been a very exciting experience and we believe we have found a new way to continue giving something new to the WHITE STONES sound, and make this musical proposal something more unique!” comments vocalist Eloi Boucherie.
The line-up has been enhanced with the participation of the multi-faceted Joan Carles Marí Tur on drums. The guitar solos were the job of João Sassetti. Additional guests José Ignacio Lagos (flute) and Joakim Svalberg (keyboards) accentuated the album further with their sound facets.
