Almafuerte

Formed from the ashes of Argentinian thrash metallers Hermética, Almafuerte launched their career in 1995 with debut album Mundo Guanaco. Hailing from Buenos Aires and comprised of former Hermética bassist and lead singer Ricardo Iorio, along with guitarist Claudio "El Tano" Marcielo and drummer Claudio Cardacci, Almafuerte took their name from the sobriquet of Argentinian poet Pedro Bonifacio Palacios. Written by Iorio, the band’s lyrics covered social issues and their first album included a number of Argentinian folk covers. Mining a classic heavy metal sound that often veered off into speed metal terrain, the band went on to release seven more studio albums, including final 2012 album Trillando La Fina, before things started to fall apart and they confirmed their breakup in 2017. Almafuerte underwent a number of lineup changes over the years, with Rodolfo Márquez replacing Claudi Cardacci on drums after the release of their second album, Del Entorno, in 1996. A year later, Walter Martínez took over from Marquez and in 2001 Martínez was replaced by Bin Valencia.