Being more of a grunge and punk aficionado, I cannot speak for the masses of Metal fans out there and their music, so this is why we have turned to freelance music journalist and filmmaker Alex De Moller in the UK today to tap into his ample knowledge on the subject, in particular the metal groups which sprung up in the mid 1980's in Medellin in rejection of the drug cartels, Pablo Escobar and the violence being lived in that city.
Earlier this year, Medellin mourned the loss of Elkin Ramírez Zapata, its first rock superstar. After losing his battle with brain cancer, Ramírez passed away on January 29th, 2017. His funeral brought Medellín to a standstill, and for the first time in its history, the city's Metropolitan Cathedral was packed with metalheads and punks—fans, friends and well-wishers who shed tears and sang together as his band Kraken performed their final concert.
Medellín today is a different picture. It's not perfect, but it's a far cry from the 1980s. Kraken's music still blares from the parches and bars frequented by the city's many metaleros and those who once threw stones now claim to revere the sound of "true" heavy metal.
So, think of the importance and the role that heavy metal played in Medellin during the city's darkest moments...