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Rata Blanca ("White Rat" in English) is an Argentine heavy metal band, formed in 1986.


History


Beginnings

The guitarist
Walter Giardino Héctor Walter Giardino (born 6 March 1960) is an Argentine guitarist and the leader of the heavy metal and hard rock band Rata Blanca. Career Early years and V8 (1981–1985) In 1981 Walter Giardino as a guitarist and vocalist founded Pun ...
replaced
Osvaldo Civile Osvaldo Daniel Civile (21 October 1958 – 28 April 1999) was an Argentine heavy metal guitarist. He was the guitarist for the bands V8 and Horcas. Biography Civile was born in Caseros, Buenos Aires, and began his music career in the band T ...
in V8 for a little time, and left the band when his songs were rejected. His friend Roberto Cosseddu, bassist of
Kamikaze , officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...
, helped him to record a demo tape with those songs. The drummer
Gustavo Rowek Gustavo Nestor Rowek (born 19 March 1963) is an Argentine heavy metal drummer known for being one of the founders of heavy metal movement in Argentina through its participation in Surmenage, WC, V8 and Rata Blanca. Currently he works in his own ...
, who had also left V8 a short time before, declined his projects with Civile and joined Giardino. The
session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...
s Rodolfo Cava (singer) and Yulie Ruth (bass player) completed the line-up that recorded the demo. The songs were "Chico callejero", "Rompe el hechizo", "Gente del sur" and "La bruja blanca". Seeking stable members, the band took Saúl Blanch as singer, who was working in the hard rock band Plus. They met the bass player Guillermo Sánchez with the help of Giardino's friend Sergio Berdichevsky, member of WC at that point. Rata Blanca made their first concert on 15 August 1987 in the Luz y Fuerza theater. Saúl Blanch left the band, and he was replaced by Carlos Périgo, who composed the song "Días Duros". Périgo left the band soon after that. Rodolfo Cava returned for a brief time, and Shito Molina got ill and could not sing anymore. As the band was about to record their first album and needed a singer immediately, Saúl Blanch returned to the band and helped record it. The album ''
Rata Blanca Rata Blanca ("White Rat" in English) is an Argentine heavy metal band, formed in 1986. History Beginnings The guitarist Walter Giardino replaced Osvaldo Civile in V8 for a little time, and left the band when his songs were rejected. His ...
'' was released in 1988, with nine songs. On that year they took part in the "Halley en Obras" concert, along with Alakrán, JAF and
Kamikaze , officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...
.


Success

Polygram PolyGram N.V. was a multinational entertainment company and major music record label formerly based in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1962 as the Grammophon-Philips Group by Dutch corporation Philips and German corporation Siemens, to be a ...
requested that the band could create an album which would have high sales in the first semester to renew the contract, and the band made fourfold the required number of sales. The keyboard player Hugo Bistolfi joined the band in 1989, and the singer
Adrián Barilari Adrián Eduardo Barilari (born November 11, 1959) is an Argentine singer best known as the vocalist of the heavy metal and hard rock band Rata Blanca.(10 June 2013)Vocalista de Rata Blanca felicitó a su imitador de "Yo Soy" ''El Comercio''(26 Jan ...
replaced Saúl Blanch. The band subsequently made their second album ''
Magos, espadas y rosas ''Magos, espadas y rosas'' (''Wizards, swords and roses'') is the second album by Argentine heavy metal band Rata Blanca. The album was released in 1990 by Polydor Records and is the best-selling heavy metal album from Argentina with over one mi ...
'', which contained the popular songs "Mujer amante" and "La leyenda del hada y el mago". It was a successful release, and in its wake the band appeared in the TV show ''Ritmo de la Noche'', and played in
cumbia Cumbia refers to a number of musical rhythms and folk dance traditions of Latin America, generally involving musical and cultural elements from American Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans during colonial times, and Europeans. Examples include: ...
concert halls because typical rock venues could not accommodate their large audiences. The album was followed by "
Guerrero del Arco Iris Rata Blanca ("White Rat" in English) is an Argentine heavy metal band, formed in 1986. History Beginnings The guitarist Walter Giardino replaced Osvaldo Civile in V8 for a little time, and left the band when his songs were rejected. Hi ...
", and a concert at the
José Amalfitani Stadium The José Amalfitani Stadium is a stadium located in the Liniers neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, near Liniers railway station. The venue is the home of the Argentine Primera División club Vélez Sarsfield and is also known as ''El For ...
. The band ended their contract with
Polygram PolyGram N.V. was a multinational entertainment company and major music record label formerly based in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1962 as the Grammophon-Philips Group by Dutch corporation Philips and German corporation Siemens, to be a ...
recording a live album, made at the Opera Theater with an orchestra, but this album was released years later. Once in BMG they made an EP called "
El Libro Oculto Rata Blanca ("White Rat" in English) is an Argentine heavy metal band, formed in 1986. History Beginnings The guitarist Walter Giardino replaced Osvaldo Civile in V8 for a little time, and left the band when his songs were rejected. Hi ...
". This work was more aggressive, both in instrumental style and lyrical style, as a result of the criticism from heavy metal fans towards the band.


Changes in lineup and reunion

Barilari did not like the new style found in "El Libro Oculto" and left the band after a concert in Obras. Bistolfi followed him, and both of them created the band Alianza. Barilari and Bistolfi were replaced by Mario Ian on vocals and
Javier Retamozo Javier Retamozo is an Argentine hard rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal keyboardist. Biography He starts his career in 1988 with LZ2, a hard rock band led by Martín Knye. In 1989, he is chosen as the fourth best keyboard player of the A ...
on keyboards. With this line-up they released ''
Entre el Cielo y el Infierno Rata Blanca ("White Rat" in English) is an Argentine heavy metal band, formed in 1986. History Beginnings The guitarist Walter Giardino replaced Osvaldo Civile in V8 for a little time, and left the band when his songs were rejected. His ...
'' ("Between Heaven and Hell"). Later that year, they were invited to play in the "Festival Monsters of Rock" in
São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
,
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, along with
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
,
Therapy? Therapy? are a Northern Irish rock band from Larne, formed in 1989 by guitarist-vocalist Andy Cairns and drummer-vocalist Fyfe Ewing. Therapy? recorded their first demo with Cairns filling in on bass guitar. To complete the lineup, the band r ...
, and
Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
. They released another album with new singer Gabriel Marian called "Rata Blanca VII". The group disbanded in late 1997. Gustavo Rowek and Sergio Berdichevsky created the band Nativo, and Giardino continued with
Walter Giardino Temple Walter Giardino Temple (also known as Temple) is a musical project of Argentine guitar virtuoso Walter Giardino. History First era The band formed in 1998 following the dissolution of Rata Blanca and the project was halted in 2000 after Rata Bla ...
. Barilari and Bistolfi were invited to a concert of Walter Giardino Temple in 2000, which led to a reunion of the band. Rowek and Berdichevsky refused to be part of the reunion. The radio station La Mega aired frequently the old "Mujer amante" song, generating a renewed interest in the band. The new album, ''El camino del fuego'', released in 2002, was a huge success. Its follow-up, the 2005 album '' La Llave de la Puerta Secreta'' had great sales and went into Gold even before being officially released. Rata Blanca played with famous member of
Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...
Glenn Hughes as a guest at the Gran Rex Theater, in 2003. They played the band's hits as well as Deep Purple's classic songs. In order to gain a more international profile, Giardino approached former
Rainbow A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...
singer
Doogie White Douglas "Doogie" White (born 7 March 1960) is a Scottish rock vocalist who currently sings for La Paz and Alcatrazz. He has also notably sung for Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Praying Mantis and Tank. Early li ...
to record an English version of the ''Forgotten Kingdom'' album in 2009.


2010–present

Early in 2010, Rata Blanca historical keyboardist Hugo Bistolfi left the band and was replaced by Danilo Moschen, a former member of Barilari's soloist band. In 2013, original members Gustavo Rowek, Sergio Berdichevsky and Saul Blanch reunited with Rata Blanca for some presentations. In 2015 Rata Blanca released their tenth studio album, '' Tormenta Eléctrica''. In May 2017, bassplayer Guillermo Sánchez died due to
sepsis Sepsis, formerly known as septicemia (septicaemia in British English) or blood poisoning, is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage is follo ...
. A few days before, singer Adrián Barilari announced that Guillermo was in poor health condition.


Personnel


Current lineup

*
Walter Giardino Héctor Walter Giardino (born 6 March 1960) is an Argentine guitarist and the leader of the heavy metal and hard rock band Rata Blanca. Career Early years and V8 (1981–1985) In 1981 Walter Giardino as a guitarist and vocalist founded Pun ...
– lead guitar (1986–1997, 2000–present) *
Adrián Barilari Adrián Eduardo Barilari (born November 11, 1959) is an Argentine singer best known as the vocalist of the heavy metal and hard rock band Rata Blanca.(10 June 2013)Vocalista de Rata Blanca felicitó a su imitador de "Yo Soy" ''El Comercio''(26 Jan ...
– vocals (1989–1993, 2000–present) * Fernando Scarcella – drums (2000–present) * Danilo Moschen – keyboards (2010–present) * Pablo Motyczak – bass (2017–present)


Past members

* Saúl Blanch – vocals (1987–1989) * Mario Ian – vocals (1993–1996) * Gabriel Marian – vocals (1996–1997) * Sergio Berdichevsky – rhythm guitar (1986–1997) * Guillermo Sánchez – bass (1986–1997, 2000–2017; died 2017) *
Gustavo Rowek Gustavo Nestor Rowek (born 19 March 1963) is an Argentine heavy metal drummer known for being one of the founders of heavy metal movement in Argentina through its participation in Surmenage, WC, V8 and Rata Blanca. Currently he works in his own ...
– drums (1986–1997) * Hugo Bistolfi – keyboards (1989–1993, 2000–2010) *
Javier Retamozo Javier Retamozo is an Argentine hard rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal keyboardist. Biography He starts his career in 1988 with LZ2, a hard rock band led by Martín Knye. In 1989, he is chosen as the fourth best keyboard player of the A ...
– keyboards (1993–1997)


Live members

* Shito Molina – vocals (1988; died 2003) * Carlos Perigo – vocals (1988) * Lowi Novello – vocals (1988) * Rodolfo Cava – vocals (1986) * Alejandro Zon – drums (2005) * Mariano Elias Martin – drums (2018)


Timeline


Discography


Studio albums

* ''Rata Blanca'' (1988) * ''
Magos, Espadas y Rosas ''Magos, espadas y rosas'' (''Wizards, swords and roses'') is the second album by Argentine heavy metal band Rata Blanca. The album was released in 1990 by Polydor Records and is the best-selling heavy metal album from Argentina with over one mi ...
'' (1990) * ''Guerrero del Arco Iris'' (1991) * ''El Libro Oculto'' EP (1993) * ''Entre el Cielo y el Infierno'' (1994) * ''Rata Blanca VII'' (1997) * ''El Camino del Fuego'' (2002) * ''La Llave de la Puerta Secreta'' (2005) * ''
El Reino Olvidado El Reino Olvidado (The Forgotten Kingdom) is the ninth studio album by the Argentine band Rata Blanca. The album was edited and released on August 21 of 2008 by PopArt Music. Two weeks after the release date the album obtained the gold album cert ...
'' (2008) * ''Tormenta Eléctrica'' (2015)


Live and compilation albums

* ''En vivo en Buenos Aires'' (1996) * '' Grandes Canciones'' (2000) * ''
Poder Vivo Rata Blanca ("White Rat" in English) is an Argentine heavy metal band, formed in 1986. History Beginnings The guitarist Walter Giardino replaced Osvaldo Civile in V8 for a little time, and left the band when his songs were rejected. His ...
'' (2003) * ''Rata Blanca & Glenn Hughes: A Vivo en Teatro Gran Rex'' (2003)


Singles

* "La Leyenda del Hada y El Mago" * "Rata Blanca" (2001) * "Teatro Gran Rex" (2001) * " Highway on Fire (EP)" (2002)


Cover versions

Spain's
Mägo de Oz Mägo de Oz (Spanish for '' Wizard of Oz'', with a metal umlaut) are a Spanish folk metal band from Begoña, Madrid formed in mid-1988 by drummer Txus di Fellatio. The band became well known for the strong Celtic feel to their music strengthene ...
recorded a version of "Mujer amante".


References


External links


Official website
{{Authority control Argentine heavy metal musical groups Power metal musical groups Musical groups established in 1986 1986 establishments in Argentina