Founded in 1986, Rata Blanca is an Argentinian heavy metal band that has achieved a higher level of fame than any other heavy metal band from the country. Their band still plays to this day and have released 10 studio albums. They formed at a time when heavy metal was still relatively unknown in their country. Since then, they have completely changed the landscape of music in Argentina.
The Founding Of The Band
Two of the original band members were previously members of the heavy metal band, V8. While V8 was considered to be the first well-known heavy metal band in the country, they certainly never reached the same degree of fame as Rata Blanca. Their band separated in the 1980’s and their members went on to form other bands. Two of the members, Walter Giardino and Gustavo Rowek would become the founding members of Rata Blanca.
The original demo from the band also included Roberto Cosseddu, who played for the band Kamikaze. There was also Yuli Ruth and Rodolfo Cava. Rodolfo Cava performed vocals for the group while Yulie played the bass guitar. After recording the demo, the band also recruited Guillermo Sanchez and Saul Blanch.
The First Albums
August 15, 1987, marked the first concert that Rata Blanca would play together. Saul Blanch, who was brought on for vocals, left the band shortly after the concert and was later replaced by Carlo Perigo. Unfortunately, Perigo also left the band after only a short period of time. The potion was continually replaced as members would come and go frequently. By the time the band would record their first album in 1988, Saul Blanch had returned to band temporarily.
The band had signed with the PolyGram production company. PolyGram set forth a goal on sale for the first semester. If the band was to stay with the company, then they needed to reach that goal and renew their contract. Their album was so successful that they sold four times the number of albums required to meet the threshold.
The band’s second album was Mago Espadas y Rosas. The album was a huge success in Argentina. It contained two of the band’s biggest hits, “La Leyenda del Hada y el Mago” and “Mujer Amante”. Rata Blanco appeared on television shortly after the release of the album, thus attracting a new following of fans that had yet to hear their music. The band was becoming so popular that the existing rock venues in the area were not large enough for their audiences. Instead, the band would frequently play at large concert halls.
Separation And Reunion
Rata Blanca released multiple albums over the following years, but would eventually separate in 1997. The band was already known for its frequent changes in their lineup. Many of the members who were once part of the band would go on to create their own bands. Alianza was one famous band formed with previous Rata Blanca members. The last studio album the band released prior to their separation in 1997 was Rata Blanca VII.
The band didn’t stay separate for long. Only three years later, in 2000, the band reunited for a concert at the Walter Giardino Temple. Some of the previous members refused the reunion and were replaced by newer members. Their songs were played on the radio frequently and eventually, the band recorded a new album in 2002.
Several new albums were recorded over the next ten years. They also experienced a number of lineup changes. In 2015, the band recorded their latest studio album. Three of the original members of the band returned to participate in the album: Sergio Berdichevsky, Saul Blanch, and Gustavo Rowek. Walter Giardino remains the only original band member.
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