AIRE Como Plomo mix an amalgam of thrash, death metal, and hardcore punk that is as abrasive and violent as it is catchy as hell. They have one full length and a handful of singles available, the most recent of which “Erase The One” may be their best yet. Which begs the question as to when we’ll get the next full length and for now, the answer is mysterious but we recently posed out set of Profile questions to the band and they fired back to give us some backstory on the band and why they do what they do. With that said, head directly below to read how it went down and be sure to pick up all their stuff from the links contained within. And, play it loud.
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How did you first get into playing music, and have you achieved the level of success that you hoped for?
In my hometown of Tunja, just being a kid who wanted to escape the smalltown vibe and music was the perfect vessel, but at first it was just jamming with friends, nothing serious. Looking back at everything that has happened I guess I never stopped. To be honest A.C.P was very humble at the beginning aspiration-wise, although very ambitious in an artistic sense we never did anything thinking about success. I already have lived experiences beyond my dreams thanks to this band. I never hoped for anything in particular and mostly just went with the flow, so I feel very fortunate to still be out living dreams, hell even the regrettable stuff.
What’s the most you have ever debased yourself to get your band onto a show, into a magazine or otherwise promoted, covered, and praised? (If you don’t have a story, please tell us any funny/embarrassing story.)
Easy. Our second gig was a local contest to open for Iron Maiden and Anthrax. It was the first of its kind in Colombia and it was HUGE. We had to annoy people to vote online and I recollect some stupid bubblegum wraps and finally battle on stage with four other really good but falling under the pressure bands. After a very hostile 2000 people packed show, accusations of cheating back and forth, and all around aggressive naiveness, we didn’t get to play but got free tickets. The day of the show one of the winning bands practically got booed offstage by a 40.000 person crowd throwing plastic bottles at them and sounding like shit. After all the fuss it really sucked to see them in that position (even though at the end they were the ones that seemed the biggest cheaters). Karma or not, no band should ever be pressured to do and live something like that, unfortunately it keeps on happening.
What do you see as some of the great things happening in metal and what are some of the worst things happening inside the scene right now?
One of the great things about metal is that it somehow survives outside of the rest of the modern world’s agenda in an organic way, as it always has been and should be. Metal is not for everyone and that is awesome. But the fact that access to all music content is gratuitous makes the personal taste bubble much thicker. It is impossible to listen to everything that exists and the disposition to invest time in something new is less, for any band its like a suicide mission much more a defiant band like us.
It seems that now everyone has a passion for some cause and that those people are very open about displaying their passions. This is probably a very, very good (and progressive) thing socially. What are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you and how do you insert those issues into your music?
Coming from Colombia, being forward thinking is sometimes a thing of common sense against extreme injustice and savagery, we take violence for granted as disturbingly normal. Not shutting up about this is very important and making memorable art so that the world does not forget or ignore what is going on here.
What, or who, got you into metal and how old were you? How did your family take the news?
I think it was the classic older friends with cd’s and tapes scenario. Especially with more underground stuff. I also remember being maybe 7 or 8 years old and seeing a collection of Iron Maiden posters and thinking that must be the heaviest and scariest music ever! Boy was I wrong. I quickly got into extreme metal and of course Mom and Dad were not too happy seeing Cannibal Corpse artwork or a dawn of the black hearts cover can scare any non metal Parent.
What advice do you have for aspiring music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?
It is hard enough to create it, so the story behind finalizing these creations will always be the core. Sometimes there is no space to talk about it, and sometimes a distant and quick conclusion of the final product can be very demoralizing.
What’s your goal? You guys thinking world domination? Maybe saving a continent? Maybe invading one? Any interest in starting a cult? Do you guys have day jobs or hobbies you want to share? Whatever it is, please let us know.
A continent, no. Our country would be awesome though. As we said before coming from Colombia it is our priority to immortalize historic memory and armed conflict themed art. Miguel and I are actually Filmmakers and graphic novelists with a very marked style within these themes, that is actually our full time day job.
When you’re not obsessing over your own material, what are some of your favorite albums to listen to currently? (Feel free to include non-metal)
It’s constantly in a state of shuffle, but these are my recently played in Spotify:
Gaerea – “Mirage” We have an upcoming show with them and very much enjoy their music and visuals.
Psycroptic – “Divine Council”
Pentagram – Entire discography
The Mars Volta – “The Mars Volta”
Elita – “Sour Switchblade” (single)
Noiseferatu – “Funkeratu”
What is the 12-month outlook for you or your band? Any specific events on the horizon that the masses should be aware of?
Immediate plans are closing the year with the PR rounds for our new single and videoclip and rehearsing for a couple of kick-ass shows, but our priority is to go back where we were before Covid struck. Which is back in México for 2023, touring with a new record.
Summarize your band in exactly one word. (Disclosure: If you include additional words, we will select our favorite for the final publication.)
Unrestrained.
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Many thanks to AIRE Como Plomo for their time!
Erase The One is available now on the band’s Bandcamp page. For more information on AIRE Como Plomo, visit their Facebook page.
Nine Circles 