Founded in 1988, Mago de Oz is a folk metal band most well known for the strong Celtic style and feel of their music. Their songs often incorporated violins to enforce this unique style. The band is still together today, though the lineup has gone through some changes over the years.
Mago de Oz has released a total of 12 studio albums. The first of which was released in 1994 and the most recent was released in 2015. They have also recorded five live albums between the years of 2002 and 2017. The band has recorded several hit singles as well. Their first single was Molinos de Viento in 1997. Since then, they have recorded a total of 20 singles. The most recent was Fiesta Pagana 2.0 released in 2013.
The Start Of The Band
Txus di Fellatio founded the band in 1988 and assumed the role of the drummer. He then slowly recruited new members for the band over the next several years. The final lineup wasn’t arranged until 1992. At the time, the band went by the name Transilvania, which was inspired by the metal band, Iron Maiden. Iron Maiden played an important role in influencing many of the songs that the band would later perform.
The original lineup for the band in 1992 consisted of Txus on the drums, Charlie playing the lead guitar, Mohamed on the violin, Salva playing the bass guitar, Juanma performing lead vocals, and Chema on the rhythm guitar. The band immediately began recording demo songs and developing their signature folk metal and Celtic style.
It was another two years before the band was ready to release their first album, Mago de Oz. This was also the time that the band adopted the new name. Unfortunately, the album was not considered successful.
Rise To Fame
Over the following years, the band lineup would change drastically. A more reliable lineup was established in 1996 and the band released a rock opera album. This second album was far more successful than the previous. The band earned a significant following in Spain. They were confident that the new band members were responsible for this success so they returned to their original album and re-recorded several songs with the new members.
The songs were released as a new album that was unofficially titled “the Witch”. Ironically, the album was a massive success. It was even more successful than their rock opera album despite the fact that the songs had been previously released with little success. They released a third album shortly afterward and began to tour.
In Recent Years
The band changed labels in 2005 and immediately released two new albums. The studio album, Gaia II: La Voz Dormida was released under the Warner Dro label. It was a huge success and featured multiple hit songs. The album also featured their hit single La Posada de Los Muertos.
A year later, the band released a greatest hits compilation album. It featured re-recorded versions of some of their most well-known songs. The album contained two discs. One of the discs featured only singles and the second disc was non-singles only. This album was available in a special edition format that included a third disc with very rare recordings, some of which were unreleased songs. The special edition version also included a DVD documentary of the band’s tour in the United States.
The band released their 12th album in 2013, entitled Hechizos, pocimas y brujeria. They also released a compilation album later that same year to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the group. Mago de Oz will be celebrating their 30th anniversary in 2018 and many fans are hoping for a new album.
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