Argentine
Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...
thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
band from
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
, originally assembled in 1984. The name is derived from the Asian country of
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
.
Biography
Nepal was formed in 1985 by Beto Vázquez and Javier Bagala. Later on Claudio "Larry" Zavala joined. The band participated in some metal festivals performing a new music style called "Power Black Metal".
In July 1988, Nepal recorded their first demo at Cosmos Studios "Aquellos Bastardos". It was released as cassette, in a split with the band Dr. Jekyll. The demo reached number one in Argentine charts for the category "Most Important National Demos". With this, they obtained more publicity in radios and magazines.
In June 1989 they recorded their second demo "Nepal II", again at "Cosmos Studios" with a better sound quality and production. They participated in some concerts at
Cemento )
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, Arlequines theater and Larrañaga theater. By the end of 1991, they had changed their line-up. They recorded the song "La Señal del Metal" to be released in a split-album with other local bands.
In April 1990 the band recorded the song "Represor" (at "Sonovision" studios in Buenos Aires with the help of Alejandro Devetak) to be include in the compilation "Thrash Vol.1", edited by "Radio Tripoli" label. The band re-released the demo "Nepal II" with a live track, "Te Destruiré", on side B. This edition sold 1000 copies.
Raza de traidores (1993)
In January 1992 Dario Galvan joined the band, and they started to compose new material for an album. In November, they released their début album ''Raza de Traidores'' under "Metal Command Records" in cassette format. It was recorded and mixed between May and August in "TMA La Escuelita" studios. They played an album release gig at Buenos Aires and opened for the German band
Kreator
Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, and bassist Frédér ...
. The Uruguayan label Heavy Weigh Records released a South American compilation including Nepal's song "Represor". They first show in a foreign country was at Brazil (
Timbó
Timbó is a municipality in the state of Santa Catarina in the South region of Brazil.
It is located at 26º49'24" from latitude South and 49º16'18" from longitude west, at an altitude of 68 meters. Its population in 2020 was 44,977 inhabitants ...
) at the Mountain Rock Festival with the band Syndrome in April 1995.
Ideología (1997)
In October 1995, they released their second album '' Ideología'' under "Metal Command Records” with the support of "Monsters of Rock" in a limited edition of 1000 copies. After that, they signed with
NEMS Enterprises
Brian Samuel Epstein (; 19 September 1934 – 27 August 1967) was a British music entrepreneur who managed the Beatles from 1962 until his death in 1967.
Epstein was born into a family of successful retailers in Liverpool, who put him i ...
. They did some concerts at Buenos Aires to perform their new material. After the gig, the drummer, Dario Galvan, left the band and was replaced with Facundo Vega. They did two shows with Angra in September 1996.
Manifiesto (1997)
The band was invited to record the song "Love Gun" for a tribute album for
Kiss
A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
with other national bands. The tribute was released in October 1996 under Sleaze Records. The Official Iron Maiden Argentine Fan Club organized a concert tribute at "Cemento" in May 1997. The band interpreted Wrathchild,
Running Free
Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...
and Judas Be My Guide. The show was filmed to be shown to
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
's members.
At the end of 1996, the band started making the songs for their third album '' Manifiesto''. That was mostly recorded, and mixed at ''El Zoologico'' studios. This was released under Nems Enterprises in Argentina, and Rock Brigade Records in Brazil.
''Manifiesto'' was recorded with
Holophonics
Holophonics is a binaural recording system created by Hugo Zuccarelli that is based on the claim that the human auditory system acts as an interferometer. It relies on phase variance, just like stereophonic sound. The sound characteristics of h ...
3D Sound system, made and developed by the engineer Hugo Zuccarelli. With this technology, the audience can experience the sound three-dimensionally: listening to the album gives the impression of hearing the vocals and the instruments from outside, like in reality. This technology has been utilized by bands and musicians like
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. In 1965, he co-founded the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. Waters initially served as the bassist, but following the departure of singer-so ...
,
Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou ( el, Ευάγγελος Οδυσσέας Παπαθανασίου ; 29 March 1943 – 17 May 2022), known professionally as Vangelis ( ; el, Βαγγέλης, links=no ), was a Greek composer and arranger of ...
,
Steve Vai
Steven Siro Vai (; born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, composer, songwriter, and producer. A three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Vai started his music career in 1978 at the age of eighteen as a transcriptionist for ...
and
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
.
Last years
The concerts for the release of their new album started in January 1998. In April, the band played as support for the band
Moonspell
Moonspell is a Portuguese gothic metal band formed in 1992. The group released their first EP, ''Under the Moonspell'', in 1994 and followed up with their debut album, '' Wolfheart'', a year later. They quickly became the most recognizable meta ...
. On 22 August, they did so for
Blind Guardian
Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in 1984 in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres.Rock and Pop International" invited Nepal to open for
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...
on 4 October 1998. The same month they played in "Cemento".
In January 1999 the drummer Dario Galvan left the band to start a project of progressive music. He was replaced by Marcelo Ponce. The band played with Almafuerte in
Obras Sanitarias
Club Atlético Obras Sanitarias de la Nación (mostly known simply as Obras Sanitarias or Obras) is an Argentine professional sports club that is located in the district of Núñez, Buenos Aires. Although originally conceived as a rugby union cl ...
for 5000 metalheads. At the end of May, Nepal played again in "Cemento" with two new songs ("Genosiglo" and "Sobre el Filo") that were ready for the fourth album, never released.
The band split-up in 2000. Larry Zavala started with a solo project, and Beto Vazquez started with a band named
Beto Vázquez Infinity
Beto Vazquez Infinity is an Argentine heavy metal project from Buenos Aires led by Alberto 'Beto' Vazquez. Formed in 2000, the outfit has released seven studio albums and a live DVD. Vazquez uses a large number guests on his records, while he o ...
.
Members
Last line-up
* Larry Zavala - Vocals
* Beto Vázquez - Bass and backing vocals
* Javier Bagala - Guitar
* Marcelo Ponce - Drums
Ricardo Iorio
Ricardo Iorio (born 25 June 1962) is an Argentine heavy metal singer and bassist who participated in various of the most important metal bands of the nation.
He was one of the founders of V8 (1979–1987) and later founded the successful band ...
*
André Matos
Andre Coelho Matos (14 September 1971 – 8 June 2019) was a Brazilian singer and musician. He was involved in the heavy metal bands Viper, Angra, Shaman and Symfonia. Since 2006, Matos had been dedicating his time to his solo career. In 201 ...
*
George Biddle
George Biddle (January 24, 1885 – November 6, 1973) was an American painter, muralist and lithographer, best known for his social realism and combat art. A childhood friend of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, he played a major role in establi ...
*
Kiko Loureiro
Pedro Henrique "Kiko" Loureiro (born 16 June 1972) is a Brazilian guitarist. He has been a member of several heavy metal bands, including Angra and Megadeth.
Career
Loureiro began studying music and playing acoustic guitar at age 11. He studie ...
*
Martin Walkyier
Martin Walkyier (born 20 September 1967) is an English singer, known for his participation in the heavy metal bands Sabbat and Skyclad.Detlef Dengler: ''Martin Walkyier''. In: ''Metal Hammer'', February 2009, p. 129. The late ''Metal Hammer'' j ...
* ''Metal Rock Festival II'' (1998)
* ''Navidad Metálica'' (1999)
Cover songs
* "
Love Gun
''Love Gun'' is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Kiss, released on June 30, 1977. Casablanca Records and FilmWorks shipped one million copies of the album on this date. It was certified platinum and became the band's first top ...
", by
KISS
A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
* "
Children of the Grave
"Children of the Grave" is a song by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, from their 1971 album '' Master of Reality''. The song lyrically continues with the same anti-war themes brought on by "War Pigs" and "Electric Funeral" from '' Parano ...
", by
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
* "Lanzado Al Mundo Hoy", by V8
* "Muy Cansado Estoy", by V8