Obús
Obús | |
---|---|
Origin | Madrid, Spain |
Genres | Hard rock, Heavy metal |
Years active | 1981-present |
Website |
www |
Members |
Fructuoso Sánchez, Fortu (05-may-1953) Francisco Laguna, Paco Fernando Montesinos Carlos Mirat |
Past members |
Manolo Caño Juan Luis Serrano, Tío Luis, Peter Oteo, NachoGG-R |
Obús is a Spanish heavy metal band created in Madrid in the early 80s. They stood out because they took the risk of making a big spectacle in their concerts in order to reach to the level of other international heavy metal bands. In addition, the lyrics they write and the feelings they transmit connect with the people that follow them. As they said in an interview: "All our songs , some more and some less, have a meaning". Far away from renouncing to their genre, they have always claimed that they were a heavy metal band and they even wrote a song about this genre in their first LP called"Dosis de Heavy Metal".In 2012, because of their 30th anniversary, they did a Tour around Spain.
History
In the first months of 1980 two young men from Madrid Juan Luis Serrano and Francisco Laguna, Bass and Guitar, who had been together in other bands such as Red Box or Madrid 20, decided to form Obús. They won the Rock festival of Villa de Madrid in 1981 and they phoned the Band Baron Rojo (who had a very good name in the Spanish rock business). In few time they recorded Prepárate, produced by Tino Casal. This album was very successful and they start becoming more and more famous. In fact, the song that gives the name to the album reached the number 1 in the 40 Principales radio station. The 6th of November 1981, the band presented the album in an epic concert in the Real Madrid stadium.
In 1982 the album Poderoso como el Trueno (produced also by Tino Casal) and specially in 1984 El que Más supposed the apogee of the albums' sales. This album was recorded with Mark Dodson as sound engineer (producer of Judas Priest) with songs of the category of El que más, Autopista, La raya, FM, Alguien and Viviré. Obús fought for the preeminence of the Spanish heavy metal, giving big concerts in different festivals such as the concerts of June in 1985 in the Casa de Campo, in the party of the Spanish communist group, for more than 20.000 people. From the point of view of that public and of the critics those were one of the most grateful moments in the history of Spanish music.
The official live album, recorded in the pavilion of sports of Madrid the 21st of February 1987 is considered their last glory moment. It continued a period of time with ups and downs until the presented their study album Otra Vez En la Ruta in 1990. This album was considered very valid and decent but it didn't recover the past glories, so they decided to stop the band temporally. After the adventures of Fortu in Saratoga (band), and of Juan Luis and Fernando, in Venganza(band),Obús returned to the world of spectacle and heavy metal in 1996. Firstly, their return was going to be in a festival in which Panzer (band) and Judas Priest were also going to play. Finally, that never happened, however they decided to go on a tour. In that moment, after very hard years for heavy metal, new generations were more and more interested in other time's music and because of that, Obús found a very active public. Due to the success of the tour they start thinking of recording a new album.
During the time they were separated, Fortu made a band with veteran rock musicians from bands such as Barón Rojo, Muro and Santa. Part of the public though that in a band with members from bands with so much success it would be impossible. However, the collaboration between members was very good. The first album they wrote, Saratoga, had the name of the band that managed to full the agualung room in Madrid. But it was just after recording their second album, Tributo, when Fortu decided to leave the band. Juan Luis and Fernando, meanwhile, had an own project: a rock band called Venganza, but they didn't have a lot of success. Paco, in the other hand, was trying to convince his past companions to retake the band. Just a week after Fortu abandoned his band Saratoga, Venganza decided to stop playing and Obús started again their journey. In 2004 During the tour "Segundos fuera" Juan Luis left the band and Peter Oteo substitutes him. Then they decided to incorporate Nacho GG-R as bassist to the band. In 2008 Fernando has a disease and he also the band, Carlos Mirat substituted him.In 2009 during a tour around South America, Nacho GG-R left the band and Pepe Bao (bassist of O'funk'illo) substituted him.
Discography
- Prepárate (1981)
- Poderoso como el trueno (1982)
- El que más (1984)
- Pega con fuerza (1985)
- Dejarse la piel (1986)
- En directo 21-2-87 (1987) (Live)
- Otra vez en la ruta (1990)
- Desde el fondo del abismo (2000)
- Segundos fuera (2003)
- Vamos muy bien (2006)
- Cállate! (2010)
- De Madrid al Infierno (2012) (Live)
Members
- From 1980 to 1981
- From 1981 to 1991 and from 1996 to 2004
- Fructuoso "Fortu" Sánchez (Lead vocals)
- Juan Luis Serrano (Bass) (Background lyrics)
- Francisco Laguna (Guitar) (Background lyrics)
- Fernando Sánchez (Drummer) (Background lyrics)
- From 2004 to 2010
- Fructuoso "Fortu" Sánchez (Lead vocals)
- Peter Oteo - Nacho García - Pepe bao (Bass) (Background lyrics)
- Francisco Laguna (Guitar) (Background lyrics)
- Fernando Sánchez - Carlos Mirat (Drummer) (Background lyrics)
- From 2010 until present
- Fructuoso "Fortu" Sánchez (Lead vocals)
- Paco Laguna (Guitar) (Background lyrics)
- Fernando Montesinos (Bass) (Background lyrics)
- Carlos Mirat (Drummer) (Background lyrics)
Notes and references
External links
- Official website (In Spanish)
- Obús biography (In Spanish)
- Interview in 'La Factoría del Ritmo' (2001)(In Spanish)
- YouTube
- Myspace