MATHRAS (ARGENTINA)
INTERVIEW WITH GUSTAVO RUBEN

- AL: For those new to your music, who’s in the band and how did you get together?

- GR: Mathras is Sergio Marti (drums), Fernando Barreriro (bass), Charly Coria (vocals) and me (guitars).
The band was formed in 2008, with Sergio who I know from my other band, Montreal. In 1999 we recorded the first Montreal album together.
In 2002 he left the group for personal reasons but at the end of 2007 we met again. We started jamming and, after a couple of rehearsals, I called Fernando. When we least expected it, we were already working on the first album. The group has released three albums to date: Mathras (2009), Alquimia (2015) and Sociedades Secretas (2019). All edited by the Metal Sin Records label and distributed by Icarus Music. The first album called Mathras. We recorded the album at Axel Sierra Bas’s KSB Digital Studio, and the vibe to work together was very good, in addition to capturing the musical idea of the band. We entered the studio of one and it came out powerful and raw. It marked the moment of the band. Songs like La Verdad Oculta or Mentes Del Pasado mark where we were compositionally on that debut album. In addition, the CD had a very good acceptance in the media.
For Alquimia, the way in which work was done was totally different from the first one. It is a dark album, heavy but with a lot of dynamics. We took a long time to do pre-production and it showed in the final result. To compose Alquimia, we started by making some demos, looking for the songs to sound raw and strong, and then see some details and make arrangements, and when we had the idea closed we went to record with Ariel Varas on vocals. First it was the turn of the drums in the Oseberg Ship, then the guitars, basses and some keyboards in Black Cane Records and finally the voices. Mixing and mastering was done by Digital KSB in Barcelona, Spain. So much versatility and change of studies was also a bit due to the trust that one places in the people with whom one has already been working. For example, we did the production and other arrangements with Gerardo Abbenante and Axel Sierra Bas, with whom we already worked on the first Mathras album and with whom I have been working since the last Montreal albums. This all took us longer than expected, but we have no regrets as we achieved the sound we had in mind. Alquimia was the album that placed us in a good place within the Argentine heavy scene and opened the doors for us to commercially reach various countries in this world where globalization sometimes complicates instead of helping. Songs like Ars Chimica, Mi Ley or En Lo Profundo are good examples of the band’s sound. As well as the cover of El Viejo by Pappo’s Blues, musically passed through the Mathras sieve, that is already a classic in the group’s repertoire. We started with the pre-production of Sociedades Secretas with the bar held high by our previous CD. The way of working was the same as with Alquimia but with much clearer and more fluid ideas, and with the logical maturation of the band in these years. Everything went naturally and in the time that we wanted to give it so that the recording turned out as we wanted, Tras Tus Pasos was one of the first songs we composed and we immediately noticed that the magic when composing was intact, which allowed us to the process will flow and be easier. We worked on a lot of songs in the studio but we also used material that for one reason or another has been around for all these years. Hermandad, for example; the musical part came from a base that we had with Sergio in the old days of Montreal and, when we started the preproduction of Sociedades Secretas, we jammed it and we didn’t even doubt it: now the song was ready. Ritual dates from the first rehearsals we did with Fernando and Sergio. When composing, the band’s style comes naturally, that cross between traditional heavy metal with hard rock, which is where we feel most comfortable, largely due to our musical influences. Beyond achieving a modern sound, we are very proud that we are an old school band.

- AL: What are your key musical influences? Who did you all listen to growing up?
- GR: We have many influences. Personally my leading bands are Van Halen, Rush, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. The boys in general are big fans of Iron Maiden, Dio, Saxon and Judas Priest. There are also many Argentine hard rock bands from the ’70s and ’80s like Pappo’s Blues, Pescado Rabioso, Billy Bond y la Pesada del Rock and Roll, Riff... And as for guitarists, Eddie Van Halen, Tony Iommi, Randy Rhoads and Michael Schenker or, in another style, Jeff Beck and Pat Metheny. AL: You’ve been around since 2008. Does that make you elder statesmen of Argentine metal? GR: Not at all, the hard rock and heavy metal scene, as I was saying before, started many years ago and has many pillar bands of the genre, we are happy to be part of it. AL: You have a very ’80s sound. Have you ever felt an urge to dip into more modern sounds? GR: Honestly I’m not looking for a certain sound or copy, I express my feelings as they come out and it’s more than sure that the influences are there, but I try to give it my sense. There are no formulas to make riffs or a song, everything comes from the soul and the heart...

- AL: For those who don’t speak Spanish, what topics do you cover in your lyrics?
- GR: Both Alquimia and Sociedades Secretas are concept albums unlike the first one. In Sociedades Secretas, as the title says, all the words revolve around secret societies, with all the conspiracy you can imagine involved. We also tried to give them various meanings to make them more open. Hermandad is the perfect song to discover the theme of the album. Even so, take it in such a way that it has many interpretations. That is why each topic has its own message from the individual point of view. We do not put ourselves directly on the side of lowering a specific political or social line beyond the fact that we can have a certain position. To give you more examples, Futuro talks about not letting up despite all the bad things, defending the opportunities that remain for those who come, focused mainly on the children. All the members of the band are parents, with the typical concern of forging a future for those who will follow us... In Después de Marzo, we talk about the Malvinas War, but from the general perspective of the album, with all the hidden interests that led to the burning of an entire generation and that today is not understood or valued by many. As well as the cover that we chose for this album, La Maldita Máquina de Matar, composed by Alejandro Medina and Rubén de León, originally recorded by Billy Bond y La Pesada del Rock and Roll, which closed both musically and lyrically the theme of the album. In addition, we also always attach great importance to cover art. Sociedades Secretas came from an idea between Guillermo González and me, to which cartoonist Aldo Requena later added all his artistic magic. It’s a fantastic cover with a lot of occult symbology that fits perfectly with the music and theme of the album. We have been working with Aldo since the days of Alquimia. In the band we are all fans of special editions and “deluxe” versions. With each one of the albums we try to give something more than music and for those who like to buy the physical format we published Sociedades Secretas in three versions: CD/Poster, CD in Slip Case/Poster and the Special Edition Box with CD /T-shirt/Pick/2 Posters.

- AL: How’s the new album coming along? I hear you changed vocalist again?
- GR: Charly Coria is now the band’s vocalist. Charly comes with a great career behind him and his voice is perfect for our music. We have already released the advance single of our next album called El Poder de la Mentira and it can be heard on all digital platforms. The video for the song will be released shortly, while we finish recording the album.

- AL: You’ve supported Saxon, Raven and Virgin Steele. What’s your most memorable gig?
- GR: Personally, the dates with Saxon, like our participation in several of the Metal para Todos festivals, one of the most important produced in Argentina. With the people of Saxon, we were lucky to be able to play and share a few drinks and a chat about music and life in general. We played with them twice when they came to Argentina and it was a dream come true as for everyone in the band... Both times were at the Teatro de Flores and being able to have a moment to chat quietly with them are things that I don’t know forget. And also other special shows were Virgin Steele, Rage, Hirax, Raven, Doogie White. They are those dates that remain in your memory...

- AL: What are your favorite albums of the past five years, not including your own?
- GR: I really liked the latest works by Testament, Judas Priest, Sons of Apollo and Saxon. I like the new Extreme songs, much lighter but with that rock spirit that is not seen so much in the mainstream.

- AL: What are the rock/metal scenes like in Buenos Aires and Argentina in general?
- GR: There are many Argentine bands, already classic: V8, Hermetica, Rata Blanca, Kamikaze, A.N.I.M.A.L. Many of them are no longer active but their legacy remains, as well as many new ones to listen to. I would give them the advice they are looking for because there is everything within the heavy metal styles in Argentina...

- AL: Name one other band not from Argentina that people should absolutely check out?
- GR: There are many good bands all over the world, just open your head and let yourself go... Rock on!

Official Website: mathras.com.ar

Facebook: facebook.com/MATHRAS-340835439527/

Instagram: instagram.com/mathras.prensa/

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCzkP-4LuJYFjm4JDCe1R7xA