Yes, finally! We have sixty-eight bands to play in three days and believe me it will be a bumpy ride. Unlike other years where music genre were clearly divided regarding brutality, this year there are more mixed lineups; ska and rock-fusion bands will play side by side with grindcore and death metal bands alike. Some may not like the blending, but it will create tolerance among radical fans.
As mentioned in an earlier post, forty-two bands were announced, in the last week, twenty bands have been added to the lineup. Let us start with the local acts. As you may know, Festival Rock al Parque was born out of a necessity to create safe spaces for fans to enjoy rock, but also to build a space for local bands to do what they really want to do, play in front of hundreds, if not thousands of people. Therefore, IDARTES calls out to local bands to play at Festival Rock al Parque. two hundred twenty-seven bands answered the call and from that batch, forty-four groups were selected to participate in auditions. After a week of auditions with renowned musicians taking the role of judges, nineteen bands were declared participants of the 22nd edition of this free open air festival.
This year local bands that earned their place into the festival will perform on stage: Reservoir Dogs, Albatroz, Chite, Nonsense Premonition, José Fernando Cortés, Danicattack, Afónica, Lo Ke Diga el Dedo, Southern Roots, Bestiärio, Lion Reggae, Stained Glory, Ikarus Falling, Payambó, Adaimon, Supremacy, Anger Rise, Razón de Ser and Burning Caravan.
Besides the addition of the local bands that will play from the 2nd to 4th July, the latest addition to the lineup brought some surprises. Suicidal Tendencies, one of the most iconic bands that created the blend between hardcore, punk and metal, will play in Colombia with Dave Lombard on the drum set. The second addition to the festival’s lineup is a band that set up the path for many bands from South America to create a fusion of reggae with heavier riffs, Todos Tus Muertos from Argentina. The third addition is an act from Guatemala called Easy, Easy, an emergent rock alternative band that will look set to make heads turn.
As for national additions, the festival announced the last bands invited to play. Cuentos de Los Hermanos Grind is a grind metal band from Bogotá that blends humour, fairy tales and grind riffs with a twist. Following that trend comes Los Compadres Recerdos with an unusual take on metal by mixing very familiar metal riffs with funny lyrics, I am sure most purists will hate them, but they will bring it on. Lastly, Los Elefantes, an old school ska band from Bogotá will give it a go for their 20th anniversary with many avid fans that have grown to their music and flow.
Finally, Festival Rock al Parque organisers also announced the schedule for the three days, and trust me, although the metal quota is high and prominent, there is a band for anyone’s taste. The program is divided into three days and, in turn, there are three stages in which you can delight in. The stages are Escenario Plaza, the biggest of them, followed by Escenario Bio and Escenario Eco. You can check the schedule below, so you can plan your days and prepare yourself for the ride.
