Doomed Confessionary: Manuel José Justiniano (Turbión)
Turbión is a metal band hailing from Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Born in 2018 by musicians from diferent bands in the city, with the fixed idea of playing heavy metal influenced by different styles such as groove metal, stoner metal and classic Argentine heavy metal bands.
The four-piece released their second full-length album »Ritual de Fuego« on November 23rd, 2023 via Oxido Metal Records.
Turbión are Alvaro Martinez on vocals, Herland Sierra on guitar, Manuel José Justiniano on bass and Javier Landívar on drums.
Can you say a few words about your band?
We are a heavy metal band from Santa Cruz, Bolivia. We play metal music influenced with groove, stoner, and thrash metal bands, with the intention to be part of the soundtracks of good times for metal fans, like meetings with friends, with good food, and a lot of drinks.
What was the biggest challenge for the band last year?
Last year we released our second album called »Ritual de Fuego«, with the independent label Oxido Metal Records, for under ground metal bands, we all know that every release of our music is a bis challenge, for effort it involves, not only in the economy side, but the passion you put in composing, arranging and playing your music.
What can you be most proud of so far?
I think the stability and respect we have raised from metal heads and other metal musicians that have heard us, shared concerts or has given us very good feed backs and opinion. We have an stable and rising fan base, and people know that when we play live, is guarantee of a good show.
What was your biggest regret?
I think is that we have not played in other big cities in pur country, we know there is a big number of fans and friends who ask us to travel to their cities, but our regular works have forced us to keep playing only in pur local scene.
What was the best concert/tour last year and why?
The one I most enjoyed was when we opened the show of Tano Romano Banda from Argentina. Tano Romano is one of the most important guitar players and composers in Argentina and Latin American metal (Hermetica, Malon, Razones Concientes and Tano Romano Banda). We were able to share a dinner with him and his band, getting to know better musicians that we have admired and looked in videos and concierts since our childhood, all the way that know we can say that we are friends with them. We also shared stage with Crypa (Brasil), Fabio Lione and Tim Ripper Owens during their tours in our city.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Right know we are enjoying the good reviews our album is receiving world wide, we hace received congratulations letters from almos all Latin American countries, bur also far places like Greece, Canada, Australia and Japan. We never spected this kind of difusion and we are only trying to keep improving in our technique and shows.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
We listen a lot of Turbión, hahahahahaha, but also bands that share our style like Anti Mortem, Texas Hippie Coalition, Bobaflex, Crowbar. Usually after rehersals we open a beer and listen all kind of metal music, we are also big fans of grunge bands.
Can you say something more about the music scene in Santa Cruz / Bolivia?
In Santa Cruz is a small but stable scene, we know almost everybody between we metal fans, and we try to support our bands. In other cities of Bolivia, like La Paz and Cochabamba, I know they have a bigger scene, thats why they can get bigger bands in their cities when the big names of metal are on tour.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We will be playing a lot in our city, actually April 5th will be our concert for the official presentation of the album (FB event), and we have started to talk with promoters in order to finally get to play in other cities.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Keep playing, keep composing, keep producing. We are not your guys, well Herland, the guitar player is, but the other musicians are over the 40s so we know we can not sit down and expect fame and fortune, we played for years and know we are doing it for pleasure and the pleasure of being in a stage, or see people listening our band.
How can people best support your band?
Listening, liking and sharing our music in their social networks and streaming apps, that how you can help us get further and grow as a band.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Only thank you all, we enjoy this travel, and is better is you are part of it listening Turbión.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well