Barón Rojo
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Barón Rojo () is a Spanish heavy metal band from
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
that achieved international success in the 1980s. The band is led by siblings Carlos and Armando de Castro, previously from the band Coz, and is considered one of the most important representatives of Spanish hard rock. Barón Rojo in Spanish means "red baron", the name of the band being an homage to
Manfred von Richthofen Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (; 2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), known in English as Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron, was a fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of th ...
; the 1981 eponymous song "Barón Rojo" is about him. In 2017, they were ranked number 18 on ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
's'' "50 Greatest Spanish Rock Bands".


History


Early years, first album: 1980–81

The original lineup of Barón Rojo consisted of brothers Armando and Carlos De Castro, both guitarists, who had just left the
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
band Coz. José Luis Campuzano, nicknamed "Sherpa", who came from the
prog rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed "progressive pop", the ...
band Módulos, joined them as bassist and vocalist. They eventually added
Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
an drummer Hermes Calabria, who after touring Spain with his prog rock band Psiglo decided to stay in the country. Songwriting duties were divided between the de Castro brothers and "Sherpa" and his wife Carolina Cortés (who wrote the lyrics for his songs). This lineup remained stable until 1989. Barón Rojo released their debut album, ''Larga Vida al Rock and Roll'', in 1981, with the first single being "Con Botas Sucias". The record achieved moderate success, earning them coverage from the media after winning Gold certification. It also strongly influenced the Spanish rock band
Héroes del Silencio Héroes del Silencio (Spanish: ''Heroes of Silence'') (well known as Héroes or HDS) was a Spanish rock band from Zaragoza, formed by guitarist Juan Valdivia and singer Enrique Bunbury. The lineup was completed by bassist Joaquín Cardiel and dr ...
. In addition, it caught the attention of the Australian hard rock band
AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formativ ...
, who invited the Spaniards to accompany them on their 1981–1982 U.S. tour. Barón Rojo turned down this offer, because they considered the travel costs too high, a decision they would later regret, as they never managed to enter the U.S. market.


Two albums, global success: 1982–83

Barón Rojo moved to
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
for the recording of their second album, ''Volumen Brutal'' (1982), at Kingsway Studios, owned by
Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally for ...
frontman
Ian Gillan Ian Gillan (born 19 August 1945) is an English singer who is best known as the lead singer and lyricist for the rock band Deep Purple. He is known for his powerful and wide-ranging singing voice. Initially influenced by Elvis Presley, Gillan ...
. This album was released in two versions: one with the lyrics in Spanish and another sung in English.
Bruce Dickinson Paul Bruce Dickinson (born 7 August 1958) is an English singer who is best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden. Dickinson has performed in the band across two stints, from 1981 to 1993 and from 1999 to the present d ...
from
Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris (musician), Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most ...
is credited for helping them with the translation. ''Volumen Brutal'' led the band to international success, especially in the UK, where they were featured on the cover of music magazine ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...
'', and it influenced numerous future metal musicians, such as Michael Amott (
Carcass Carcass or Carcase (both pronounced ) may refer to: * Dressed carcass, the body of a livestock animal ready for butchery, after removal of skin, visceral organs, head, feet etc. *Carrion, the decaying dead body of an animal or human being, also c ...
,
Arch Enemy Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic death metal band, originally a Supergroup (music), supergroup from Halmstad, formed in 1995. Its members were in bands such as Carcass (band), Carcass, Armageddon (Swedish band), Armageddon, Carnage (band), Carna ...
), who has stated that Barón Rojo is one of his favourite bands, or Ronnie Romero (
Rainbow A rainbow is an optical phenomenon caused by refraction, internal reflection and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a continuous spectrum of light appearing in the sky. The rainbow takes the form of a multicoloured circular ...
, Elegant Weapons), who says ''Volumen Brutal'' is the first album he ever bought. The record sold two million copies worldwide. It is considered one of the very best metal albums ever released in Spain, and one of the band's best releases. On 27 August 1982, Barón Rojo played at the Reading music festival, along with Iron Maiden,
Twisted Sister Twisted Sister was an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in 1972 in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, and later based on Long Island, New York (state), New York. Their best-known songs include "We're Not Gonna Take It (Twisted Sister song ...
, and
Marillion Marillion are a British neo-prog band, formed in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in 1979. They emerged from the post-punk music scene in Britain and existed as a bridge between the styles of punk rock and classic progressive rock, becoming the mo ...
. In 1983, ''Metalmorfosis'', their third studio album, also recorded in London, was released and contained, among many other tracks, the well-known ballad "Siempre estás allí". Together with ''Volumen Brutal,'' it is considered one of their best albums.


Fourth album, live releases, international tours: 1984–86

In 1985, Barón Rojo released their fourth studio album, ''En un lugar de la marcha'', which included the popular song "Hijos de Caín", as well as two live albums, titled ''Barón al Rojo Vivo'' (1984)—produced by
Chris Tsangarides Christopher Andrew Tsangarides (17 August 1956 – 6 January 2018) was a British record producer, sound engineer, and mixer of Greek Cypriot origin. He was best known for his work with many heavy metal artists, including Gary Moore, Thin L ...
—and ''Siempre Estás Allí'' (1986). Their international tours continued through
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
and
Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
; in 1984–1985, they had
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
, at the time a relatively young band, open for them at a number of shows. As of 2018, the American band still played live cover versions of Barón Rojo songs.


Changing style, band tensions, fluctuating lineup: 1987–89

From then on, the band began experimenting with new musical elements, including orchestral compositions, as can be heard on their 1987 album, ''Tierra de Nadie'', which includes their well-known song "Tierra de nadie". This album, the band's fifth, rounded out what are considered to be Barón Rojo's best releases. Meanwhile, the mood between band members, described by them as "pure hatred", kept on getting worse. By the end of 1989, after they released their albums ''No va más'' and ''Obstinato'', bassist/singer/composer José Luis Campuzano ("Sherpa") and drummer Hermes Calabria exited the band, leaving the De Castro brothers with an ever-changing lineup, with a turnover ranging from one to several years.


Further releases, legal disputes: 1992–2008

The album ''Desafío'', released in 1992 and recorded in Madrid, was produced by guitarist Carlos de Castro, with Niko del Hierro on bass, José Antonio del Nogal on drums, and the de Castro brothers sharing vocal duties. The new bassist and drummer would not last long in the band, and these new lineups without all the original members would receive mixed reviews, beginning with ''Desafío''. After two compilation albums, the studio album ''Arma Secreta'' (1997), and legal disputes with their label (Zafiro) about royalties, BMG released a double compilation album called ''Cueste lo que cueste'', which included 31 hits by the band plus four new songs. 2001 saw the release of the album ''20+'', an allusion to more than twenty years of existence. In 2002, Barón Rojo were honored with a tribute album, ''Larga Vida al... Volumen Brutal'', by such Spanish and Latin American bands as Rata Blanca, Mägo de Oz, Tierra Santa, and Los Suaves. In 2003, they issued the covers album ''Perversiones'', featuring renditions of songs by artists including
Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally for ...
,
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...
,
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...
,
Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and songwriter. One of the most iconic and successful Rock music, rock performers of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and her "electric" ...
, and AC/DC. Drummer Vale Rodríguez left the band in 2005 and was replaced by a returning José Martos. In 2006, Barón Rojo released ''Ultimasmentes'', an album sung entirely by Carlos de Castro. That same year, the band was honored with another tribute album, this time exclusively of Argentine bands, titled ''El Barón vuela sobre Argentina''. Ángel Arias and José Martos left Barón Rojo in 2007, just after the live CD and DVD ''Desde Barón a Bilbao'' was released, and Tony Ferrer departed in September 2008. He was replaced by former
Ñu Ñu, also known as José Carlos Molina-Ñu, are a Spanish hard rock band formed in 1974 in Madrid. Their music style, often described as medieval rock, has medieval music, celtic rock and heavy metal music, heavy metal influences. The band have e ...
bassist Gorka Alegre.


Reunions, final album, documentary film, touring: 2009–present

Barón Rojo held a reunion concert on 20 June 2009 at the Metalway music festival in
Zaragoza Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...
in their original formation, including José Luís "Sherpa" Campuzano on vocals. That same year, they released the live album ''En Clave de Rock''. After this concert, they reunited again for a tour, starting and finishing in Madrid, with the first show being held at "La Riviera" on 30 January 2010 and the last at the former
bullring A bullring is an arena where bullfighting is performed. Bullrings are often associated with the Iberian Peninsula, but they can also be found through Iberian America and in a few Spanish and Portuguese ex-colonies in Africa. Bullrings are ...
Palacio de Vistalegre on 22 October 2011, where they announced the filming of a Barón Rojo documentary. The
film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
was released in 2012. The same year, they also released their latest studio album, titled ''Tommy Barón,'' a cover album of '' Tommy'' featuring Spanish musician Eva Amaral. In 2020, on their 40th anniversary, Barón Rojo decided to finally disband. However, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, their final tour was postponed and as such, their farewell concert rescheduled to December 2021. It featured guest appearances by artists such as
Graham Bonnet Graham Bonnet (born 23 December 1947) is an English rock singer. He has recorded and performed as a solo artist and as a member of several hard rock and heavy metal music, heavy metal bands including Rainbow (rock band), Rainbow, Michael Schenke ...
,
Mel Collins Melvyn Desmond Collins (born 5 September 1947, Isle of Man) is a British saxophonist, flautist and session musician. Collins has played in several progressive rock groups, having been a member of King Crimson on two occasions (the first from ...
,
Jørn Lande Jørn Marumsrud Lande (born 31 May 1968) is a Norwegian hard rock and heavy metal singer. He is known for his work with the bands Ark, Beyond Twilight, Millenium, Vagabond, The Snakes, and most notably with power metal band Masterplan. He ...
, and Aurora Beltrán (replacing Doro Pesch, who was unable to travel due to pandemic restrictions). Despite having announced that this would be their last show, claiming that their farewell tour had been shorter than they would have liked because of the pandemic and appealing to the proximity of the 45th anniversary of their founding in 1980, Barón Rojo played further live shows in 2023, toured Latin America in 2024, and they have continued to put on shows occasionally in 2025. This decision was criticized by the media, especially due to Carlos de Castro's poor vocal performance.


Band members

Current * Carlos de Castro – vocals, guitar (1980–present) * Armando de Castro – guitar, vocals (1980–present) * Rafa Díaz – drums (2007–present) * José Luis Morán – bass (2020–present) Past * José Luís "Sherpa" Campuzano – bass, vocals (1980–1989, 2009–2011) * Hermes Calabria – drums (1980–1989, 2009–2011) * Máximo González – vocals (1991) * Pepe Bao – bass (1990–1991) * José Antonio del Nogal ("Kamakhan") – drums (1991–1995) * Niko del Hierro – bass (1991–1992) * José Luis Aragón – bass (1993–1995) * Valeriano Rodríguez – drums (1998–2005) * José Martos – drums (1996–1998, 2005-2007) * Angel Arias – bass (1995–2007, 2016–2017) * Tony Ferrer – bass (2007–2008) * Gorka Alegre – bass (2008–2015) * Óscar Cuenca – bass (2015–2016) * Javier Rodríguez – bass (2017–2020)


Timeline


Discography


Studio albums

* '' Larga vida al Rock and Roll'' (1981) * '' Volumen brutal'' (1982) * '' Metalmorfosis'' (1983) * '' En un lugar de la marcha'' (1985) * '' Tierra de nadie'' (1987) * ''No va más!'' (1988) * '' Obstinato'' (1989) * ''Desafío'' (1992) * ''Arma secreta'' (1997) * ''20+'' (2001) * ''Perversiones'' (2003) * ''Ultimasmentes'' (2006) * ''Tommy Barón'' (2012)


Live albums

* '' Barón al rojo vivo'' (1984) * ''Siempre estáis allí'' (1986) * ''Barón en Aqualung'' (2002) * ''Desde Barón a Bilbao'' (2007) * ''En Clave de Rock'' (with the
Mislata Mislata (; ) is a city in the Valencian Community, Spain. It has borders with the city of Valencia and Quart de Poblet in the west and Xirivella in the south. Demographics In recent decades it has gone from being a village in the Horta region ...
symphony orchestra) (2009)


Compilations

* ''Larga vida al Barón'' (1995) * ''Cueste lo que cueste'' (1999) * ''Las aventuras del Barón'' (2006)


DVDs

* ''Barón en Divino'' (2002) * ''El Rock de nuestra transición Barón - Obús - Asfalto'' (2004) * ''Desde Barón a Bilbao'' (2007) * ''Barón Rojo 30 Aniversario'' (2010)


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Baron Rojo Musical groups from Madrid Spanish heavy metal musical groups Spanish musical quartets Rock en español music groups Musical groups established in 1980 Locomotive Music artists Cultural depictions of Manfred von Richthofen