The (St. Thomas) Pepper Smelter was a Peruvian rock band formed in 1969 by members of Los Shain's, including Gerardo Manuel on vocals and Freddy Macedo. Their debut single "Un nuevo verano"/"Purple haze" launched their career. The band gained local popularity with hits like "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" (1969) and "Words of Pain" (1969), which topped local radio charts. In 1969, they also released their sole studio album Soul & Pepper, featuring original compositions by Gerardo Manuel alongside covers of bands such as Cream and Iron Butterfly. The group disbanded in June 1970 due to the emigration of key members.
