The hardest part was to pick just five. We may be a small country, but music runs deep in our blood, and metal has been part of this heritage for the past three decades.
Colemesis
Rock/Death Metal
Metal in the 90s what’s kind of a new thing for a very conservative and catholic country. Colemesis fought along with other bands (such as Mantra and Arsenal, to mention a few) against a government who couldn’t understand what metal was about. They had rough years, but they never surrendered, and after many ups and downs they are still active and captivating new fans with their heavy, aggressive and highly political music.
Advent of Bedlam
Technical/Melodic Death Metal
Formerly named “December’s Cold Winter”, AoB spearheaded on the 2000s a new wave of death metal acts. They gained success within the youngest metalheads who hungered for more local metal bands. They have been actively touring to this date, going as far as Europe. For this and many other reasons, they were called “Costa Rica’s biggest metal export” in VH1’s “That Metal Show”. “Creatures of Yore” is the band’s most recent single (August 2016).
Sight of Emptiness
Melodic Death Metal
Gathering talented and experienced musicians, SoE joined the new wave of costa Rican death metal scene on 2005. Since then they had enjoyed great success in their own country and outside those borders. The band played on the main stage at the Bloodstock Open Air in England (2007), had toured Europe and Japan, and had joined forces with talented producers and musicians, such as Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia, Soilwork), Christian Älvestam (ex-Scar Symmetry) and Whitfield Crane (Ugly Kid Joe), among other great achievements and awards.
Time’s Forgotten
Progressive Metal
Emerging in a scene dominated by death metal and thrash bands, Time’s Forgotten was born in 2004–05 as an alternative, especially for those who love the less aggressive, more progressive side of metal. They have huge success locally, where they have been winning awards (Best Album in the Progressive Rock genre) and filling out concerts in venues and theaters. They had also played in Festivals from around the world, including Baja Prog Festival in Mexicali, Mexico.
Heresy
Thrash Metal
The youngest band of the list (founded in 2011) is also the one experiencing the most recent victories. They were picked as the opening act for Metallica’s latest show in Costa Rica (November 5th, 2016). Their first EP “Heretics to the Fire” was mastered by Tim Aymar (Pharaoh/Control Denied). On the past years, they started a journey they called “Worldwide Inquisition tour”, who led them to visit many European countries (Romania, Poland, Italy, Denmark, Germany, among others). Heresy claim it’s not over.
Honorable mentions are : Pneuma, Adrenal, Corpse Garden, Höwler, Sleazer