As I am sure you read in the first part of this article, RostbiF is a hard rock band that hails from Nueva Helvecia (an inland Uruguayan town). The guys cite AC/DC, Deep Purple and ZZ Top as their main references and musical heroes, and their sound is an effective amalgamation of what these bands have played since their inception.
The band comprises Lukas Künzler (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Pablo Gonzalez (lead guitar), Mauricio Rode (bass) and Guido Quintela (drums).
I am actually acquainted with the guys since Guido e-mailed me about a year ago asking for some lyrics. I did like the fact that they were aiming for compositions that had a certain social content, and I was keen to try something different to the traditional romantic themes I have always used to favor. Thus, “Rebellion Winds” and “These Eyes” were conceived.
One thing that comes across when you listen to their music is how much they are enjoying themselves. They are no virtuosos, they know it, and that is not the point to begin with. They make up for it with a lot of stamina and passion: Guido hits the bass drum as he if were kicking a plancha in the mouth, the bass has true bursts of vigor (specially when it gets some space as on “Rebellion Winds”, their finest composition so far) and the two guitars act as the main offensive line of the band. Granted, nobody would mistake the interplay between Lukas and Pablo as the one that characterized Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd, but they are clearly in the same wavelength. Plus, when singing Lukas sounds like a chain smoker who hasn’t had a cigarette in three weeks. Take all that together and the result is the soundtrack for throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at the police during a riot. No wonder I have never attended one of their gigs personally. The last thing I want is someone smashing a bottle willy-nilly in my head.
The band has three original compositions: “Rebellion Winds”, “These Eyes” and “En Una Lágrima” [In A Tear]. Every person I know is very enthusiastic about “Rebellion Winds”; most agree that “En Una Lágrima” is the one song that could pick up airplay in Uruguay, and then a few people do not like “These Eyes”. I don’t like it as much as the other two compositions, but it shows a different facet to the band (a more subdued one) and Lukas’ voice is surprisingly pleasant when he is not sounding like his beloved Angus.
I do recall that the original name of “Rebellion Winds” was actually “Rebellion Wings”, and that “These Eyes” was initially named “A Lie That Is Always True”. Yet, I can be but grateful for the respectful way in which they have approached my lyrics – they haven’t changed a thing, not even a comma. They have set rhyme schemes to music that were anything but easy (like the quintets in “Rebellion Winds”, and the whole of “These Eyes”) and they will always have my unconditional gratitude and respect for that.
Summing up, this is a young band that barks a lot for sure, but they can also bite and tear something apart when they want to – “Rebellion Winds” and “En Una Lágrima” show that they know how and where to attack in order to maximize their effectiveness. Let’s see what the future holds for them. I don’t know if they would become famous, but I know that is not something they are seeking like crazy at any rate. If it happens, it happens. They seem content enough to come with a couple of good tunes that people can relate to – now, and many years down the line. That is how RostbiF defines its musical aims. And that definition comes close to the definition of true achievement in the dictionaries of most music lovers I know. Mine included.
Check RostbiF’s PureVolume profile here.
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