Interview with drummer Alex Gonzalez | By Macie Bennett
Nearly five years in the making, De La Tierra has come a long way to celebrating the release of their debut album. De La Tierra originates from Latin America with members from Sepultura, Mana, A.N.I.M.A.L, and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. Though drummer Alex Gonzalez started with the Latin pop-rock band, Mana; he expressed his love of hard rock music at a young age, which inspired his interest in metal music. “Heavy metal and hard rock was always something I grew up listening to…the Beatles and KISS were the first bands I learned to play drums to,” said Gonzalez.
After a Mana tour in late 2007, Gonzalez reached out to long time friend Andres Gimenez of A.N.I.M.A.L. “Let’s really do something; let’s put a kick-ass band together.” After Gimenez and Gonzales set the framework, Sepultura guitarist, Andreas Kisser, and Sr. Flavio, bassist for Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, accepted invitations to become part of the project. With members of DLT residing in different regions of South America, the recording process was difficult. “We decided on Buenos Aries as the base…everything was very fast, very spontaneous and we recorded the album in a month and a half,” Gonzalez recalls. “What’s great about technology is we could skype and send mp3 demos to each other.
“Maldita Historia” is just one song of 11 tracks on the CD, no one song sounds alike,” said Gonzalez. “There’s melody, there’s punch, there’s adrenaline, there’s tribal drums and Latin percussion.”
DLT’s debut album is recorded in Spanish and Portuguese, but is still represented in both North and South American markets. Gonzales explains their decision to record in Latin languages as a kind of lyrical bond. “There’s millions of Latino kids who love heavy metal and rock who want to listen to it in their language.”
De La Tierra is unique in itself, being completely financed and produced solely within the band. DLT wanted to keep their sound as much their own as possible. “It was just four guys who wanted to play together…we just wanted to keep it as honest and fresh as we could, and real,” said Gonzalez. “There isn’t a lot of exposure for metal bands, even the bands we come from, you still see trouble getting air play…so thank god for internet, and Roadrunner and Warner Latin who believe in us.”
De La Tierra dropped January 14 with a promotion tour planned shortly after.
“We have rehearsals first week of March then the tour is supposed to kick off the 15th; we confirmed Viva Latino in Mexico City for the 29th of March. We should have dates up by mid January and the first circuit will be certain cities of Latin America and certain cities of the United States, so its going to be the 15th of March to 27th of April.”
www.delatierramusic.com | www.facebook.com/delatierramusic | twitter.com/delatierramusic
Purchase their self-titled album here:
iTunes | Amazon | Mixup
