Fantastico Hombre Bala

Fantastico Hombre Bala is hard-edged indie rock band from Barcelona who arrived on the city's music scene with Enrique Bunbury's Heroes del Silencio and a few others in the early '90s and, based on two albums and an EP, became underground icons. The Castilian rock & roll band was born in Barcelona in 1993 from the remains of Animal Magic and Delaware. Its original members included vocalist Morti (Alejandro Martinez), drummer Charly Sardà, bassist Juan Luis Leprevost, and guitarists Dani "Patillas" Baraldés and Munsee (Sebastián Delaware). They shared musical influences from Living Colour to the Cult, from Killing Joke to Nirvana, but sought to translate these American and European influences into a musical landscape of their own. Their sound was, and remains, aggressive, hardy, and unruly. Based on live shows, EMI signed the band and issued their debut album, Tierra de Cerdos in 1994. It was virtually ignored even as the group's concerts drew more fans than ever due to an exciting live show. A year later, they issued the EP En Carne Viva, comprised of album tracks and new tunes. For 1996's Estigmas (now regarded as a classic of Castilian rock & roll), Leprovost was replaced by bassist David Martinez. While the record received sold better than its predecessors, and received some airplay, it was still ignored by most mainstream press and pop audiences even as their tours sold out. After two more singles -- "Soy" b/w "Dar, Dar y Recibir" and "A Través de un Desierto" -- the band went on hiatus -- for nearly 20 years. All of its members enjoyed solo careers. Morti's was the most high profile: He served as the frontman for Skizzo, Immune, and Bunbury's Bushido supergroup and released his own metal-leaning solo album Exmundus. Other members made their way as session players, often joining other bands. In the aftermath, the reputation of Fantastico Hombre Bala spread, and their albums remained in print and sold more copies than they ever had while they were active. In 2013, Morti announced the return of Fantastico Hombre Bala to stages and studio rehearsal. The new lineup included Morti, Sardá, and Baraldés, along with bassist Sebi Suarez and guitarist Jordi Busquets. In concert they performed a new song entitled "Mundo Demencial." Three years later, in November of 2016, the band's third album, Al Despertar, was issued by Fair Warning, followed by the singles "Al Limite" and "Fuera de Control." The album proved their breakthrough, charting across Spain and in Latin American countries, while live performances created insatiable demand for tickets.
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