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Rata Blanca

A revered name on the South American Metal circuit. RATA BLANCA, led by former V8 guitarist Walter Giardino, established a reputationthat inspired countless other bands in their wake. RATA BLANCA was borne out of a 1985 demo commissioned by Giardino in 1985,originally intended as a vehicle to establish ties with the UK market. The tape was recorded utilising vocalist Rodolfo Cava, bass playerYulie Ruth and drummer Gustavo Rowek. However, Giardino was so inspired by the final result the planned relocation to Great Britain wasput on hold RATA BLANCA was convened as a full band unit fo ...read more

A revered name on the South American Metal circuit. RATA BLANCA, led by former V8 guitarist Walter Giardino, established a reputationthat inspired countless other bands in their wake. RATA BLANCA was borne out of a 1985 demo commissioned by Giardino in 1985,originally intended as a vehicle to establish ties with the UK market. The tape was recorded utilising vocalist Rodolfo Cava, bass playerYulie Ruth and drummer Gustavo Rowek. However, Giardino was so inspired by the final result the planned relocation to Great Britain wasput on hold RATA BLANCA was convened as a full band unit for an eponymous debut album in 1988. Joining Giardino would be lead vocalist SaulBlanch, second guitarist Sergio Berdichevsky, bassist Guillermo Sanchez and drummer Gustavo Rowek. The album, which included spin offsingles El Sueño De La Gitana and Chico Callejero, proved a huge success. Despite this huge leap forward Blanch bowed out and RATABLANCA entered its second stage with the induction of singer Adrian Barilari and keyboard player Hugo Bistolfi.RATA BLANCAs second album Magos, Espadas & Rosas was promoted by support slots to IAN GILLAN. The album generated huge praise,surpassing the million sales mark globally. The bands third album Guerrero del Arco Iris, titled in honour of the Greenpeace Rainbow Warriorship, was debuted live in front of over 30,000 fans at a single concert in Velez Sarsfield Stadium, still holding the record today as thebiggest ever gig for a local band. The group would undertake live work across all of South America and into Mexico and even Los Angeles, performing at the famous WhiskeyA Go Go club. Back in Buenos Aires, RATA BLANCA cut a groundbreaking live album recorded over three nights at the Opera Theatre with afull chamber orchestra. Live dates further afield had the band trekking across Portugal and Spain, recording their fourth album El LibroOculto there. With the close of the world tour both Bistolfi and Barilari decided to leave. The erstwhile RATA BLANCA duo duly founded ALIANZA issuingthree albums, Sueños Del Mundo in 1993, Alianza in 1994 and Huellas in 1999. RATA BLANCA meantime pulled in Mario Ian on vocalswith Javier Retamozo ..boards and persevered.A fifth album, the exceptionally heavy Entre El Cielo Y El Infierno (Between Heaven And Hell), was recorded in the midst of a 1994 worldtour. RATA BLANCA performed at the Brazilian Monsters Of Rock festival in Sao Paolo sharing the stage with international heavyweightsOZZY OSBOURNE, ALICE COOPER and MEGADETH before an audience of 100,000. In Argentina the live album recorded earlier in 1992En Vivo En Buenos Aires was finally issued. With popularity waning in their homeland, Mario Ian made his exit in 1996. RATA BLANCA appointed Gabriel Marian to the frontmanposition for the Rata Blanca VII album. The band was in a fractious state, it becoming public knowledge that other band members were keento decamp but had been persuaded to stay on for the sessions. The album received little promotion and in April of 1998 Giardino signalledthe end of the band.Gustavo Rowek and Sergio Berdichevsky assembled a fresh Heavy Metal act NATIVO, going on to publish two albums Consumo in 1999and Futuro in 2001. Giardino too founded a new endeavour billed as TEMPLE. He would tour Argentina during 1999 then put together a newband which found former RATA BLANCA singer Adrian Barilari as guest singer. Eventually Guillermo Sanchez came in on bass and re-titlingthe band RATA BLANCA gigs were held in Bolivia. Returning to Argentina Hugo Bistolfi returned to the fold too.In 2001 a gathering of South American Metal talent paid homage with the tribute album La Leyenda Continúa. Included would be artistssuch as AZEROTH, BETO VASQUEZ INFINITY, HUMANIMAL and ROSACRUZ. Both Adrián Barilari and Walter Giardino made a specialappearance uniting with members of premier league Finnish bands NIGHTWISH and STRATOVARIUS, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, bassistSami Vänskä, keyboard player Jens Johansson and drummer Jukka Nevalainen on the track La Leyenda Del Hada Y El Mago.The new RATA BLANCA, with Fernando Scacella on drums, toured South America and Mexico to enthusiastic response. A compilationGrandes Canciones was backed by further gigs including shows in Spain. A new studio album El Camino del Fuego was delivered in June of2002. Singer Adrian Barilari, billed simply as BARILARI, released a debut solo album in mid 2003.Marking the return of BLACK SABBATH to the live stage for the Summer 2004 'Ozzfest' shows the Argentine label Blackstar Recordsissued a tribute album 'Sabbath Crosses: Tribute To Black Sabbath', this collection being noted for a take on 'No Stranger To Love' fromRATA BLANCA featuring a guesting ex-BLACK SABBATH vocalist GLENN HUGHES on vocals and BARILARI donating a Spanish languageversion of 'Heaven And Hell'. RATA BLANCA also shared stage in Buenos Aires with Glenn Hughes who was a guest of the band. Theyplayed some MKIII classics which were edited for a live DVD available at www.rataweb.com.arRATA BLANCAS' latest album "La llave de la puerta secreta" was Gold 2 days before it went on sale and it just reached Platinum inArgentina. The 2005 tour was extremely successful and they put in another high profile hometown gig in September, opening forWHITESNAKE and JUDAS PRIEST.August 2008 saw the release of “El Reino Olvidado”. Another successful album which reached Gold in the weeks after it’s release. The bandhas been touring presenting the album throughout Spain, North and South America, including a sold out show at Luna Park Stadium inBuenos Aires with a very special guest, former Nightwish singer TARJA TURUNEN. With plans to explore and expand though Europe andJapan, the album has been re recorded in English with DOOGIE WHITE on vocals, former Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow/Yngwie Malmsteen.The Forgotten Kingdom has alreadyn been released in Spain.2010 saw the departure of Hugo Bistolfi on keyboards who was to focus on his solo carreer and was replaced by Danilo Moschen,experienced keyboard player who has played with bands like Beto Vázquez Infinity, BARILARI, Tarja Turunen, LOGOS and JAF. Credits Garry Sharpe-Young. Copyright: © 2001-2005 Musicdetector Websites « hide

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