Barón Rojo

The band released their debut album Larga Vida al Rock and Roll in 1981, and the first single taken from the LP was Con Botas Sucias. It achieved moderate success, earning them several coverage from the media after winning a gold record selling certification.[2] To promote the album, Barón Rojo made a tour around Spain. This first album heavily influenced the Spanish rock band Héroes del Silencio.[3]

They moved to London for the recording of their second album Volumen Brutal (1982) on the Kingsway studios, owned by Deep Purple's frontman Ian Gillan. This album was released in two versions: One with the lyrics in Spanish and another sung in English. Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden is credited for helping them with the translation. This led the band to international success specially in England, where they were featured on the cover of music magazine Kerrang!. The album, which included tracks like "Los rockeros van al infierno" ("Rockers Go to Hell", English version), "Incomunicación" ("Isolation Ward", English version), "Concierto para ellos" ("Concert for Them") or "Resistiré" ("Stand Up", English version) sold two million copies worldwide.[4] It is usually considered one of the very best metal albums ever released in Spain, and their best album.[5]

On 27 August 1982 Barón Rojo played at Reading music festival, along with renowned bands as Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister and Marillion.

In 1983 Metalmorfosis, their third studio album also recorded in London, was released and contained, amongst many other tracks, the well-known ballad "Siempre estás allí". Together with Volumen Brutal, it is considered their best album.[6]

After that, they released their fourth studio album En un lugar de la marcha in 1985 with songs as "Hijos de Caín" and "Cuerdas de acero", as well as two live albums titled Barón al Rojo Vivo (1984) and Siempre Estás Allí (1986). Their international tours continued through Europe, Latin America and Japan, playing even with a then young Metallica as their opening band in 1985[7] (the American thrash band, as of 2018, kept on playing live cover versions of Baron Rojo songs[8]).

From then on, the band began experimenting with new elements including orchestral compositions, as it can be heard on their 1987 album Tierra de Nadie, which includes their well-known song "Tierra de nadie". Those first five studio albums are considered Baron Rojo best releases.[9] Meanwhile, the mood between band members, described by them as "pure hatred", kept on getting worse.[10]

By the end of 1989, after they released their albums No va más and Obstinato, bassist/singer/composer José Luis Campuzano “Sherpa” and drummer Hermes Calabria left the band, leaving the De Castro brothers with an ever-changing formation, where components as Pepe Bao (bass) and Maxi González (vocals) stayed in the band for just one year, and Antonio del Nogal "Ramakhan" (drums) stayed for four years.

Desafío, released in 1992 and recorded in Madrid was produced by guitarist Carlos de Castro with Niko del Hierro on bass and José Antonio del Nogal "Ramakhan" playing drums.

After a two compilation albums, the studio album Arma Secreta (1997) and some legal disputes with record company Zafiro about the royalties of the previous albums, BMG released a double compilation album called Cueste lo que cueste, which included 31 hits by the band plus four new songs.

2001 saw the release of the album 20+, an allusion to the more than twenty years of existence of the band, and in 2003 the cover versions album Perversiones saw the light and featured cover versions from bands such as Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and AC/DC.

Drummer Vale Rodríguez left the band in 2005, a place José Martos took again for the second time.

By 2006 the band released Ultimasmentes, in which all the songs were sung by Carlos de Castro, except for the instrumental opening and finale.

Ángel Arias and José Martos left Barón Rojo in 2007, just after the live CD and DVD Desde Barón a Bilbao was released, and Tony Ferrer left the band in September 2008. He was replaced by former Ñu bassist Gorka Alegre.

They made a reunion concert on June 20, 2009 at the Metalway music festival in Zaragoza, with the original formation including José Luís Campuzano "Sherpa" doing vocals. That same year they released their last album yet: live album En Clave de Rock.

After their successful reunion concert at Metalway'09 they reunited again for a tour, starting and finishing in Madrid, with its first concert at "La Riviera" 30 January 2010 and the last at former bullring "Palacio de Vistalegre" 22 October 2011, where they told the concurrence about the filming of a Baron Rojo documentary.[11]

The Barón Rojo film was released in 2012. In 2020 (its 40th anniversary), Barón Rojo was definitely disbanded.[12]

• Carlos de Castro - vocals, guitar (1980-2020)
• Armando de Castro - guitar, vocals (1980-2020)
• Rafa Díaz - drums (2007-2020)
• Javier Rodríguez - bass (2017-2020)

The band just before the 2010 reunion.

Timeline

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Barón Rojo.

• Official website
• Armando de Castro's, author, Lead Guitar & singer official website
• Sherpa's,author, original bass & singer official website
• Sherpa's,author, original bass & singer official Youtube channel
• Redbaronfanclub, kerrang's article
• Baron Rojo at Vistalegre 2011 (Spanish)
• Baron Rojo future (Spanish)