Doomed Confessionary: Miguel & Pablo (Cerro Gordo)
Cerro Gordo is a two-piece stoner/doom/punk band from La Herradura, Spain. Founded in July 2022, the duo consists of Miguel Ángel Cerro Gordo (vocals, guitar) and Pablo Campos (drums).
Cerro Gordo has released their debut album »La Muerte. La Montaña« on February 21st, 2025. Available now on all major streaming platforms.
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Christ O. Rodríguez at Desert City Studio (Almería) in October 2024. Artwork and music video for »Bornos« by Sol Leal.
Can you please say a few words about your band?
We are a desert duo from the bowels of La Furia del Mar. Cerro Gordo is a daring, transient madness with distortion and bass along with the sanity of death and the mountain. We continue to think in analog, we play loud so that we can be heard in a world of the deaf.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
We see challenges as learning, as opportunities. Perhaps the biggest challenges we face are, on the one hand, reconciling family and work life with the development of the band and, on the other hand, the lack of a broader cultural movement that gives visibility to alternative and underground bands in the area where we live.
What can you be most proud of so far?
We are very happy with how the band’s development has been in general. It has all been very organic, with moments more focused on composition and others with a lot of improvisation, with eternal jams. That has made us get to know each other well. The release of »La Muerte. La Montaña« has been the culmination of all the work and we are very proud of the result and the reception.
What was your biggest regret?
All experiences teach us, and we prefer to look forward.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
The concert we gave at 1UPFEST (October 5, 2024, Arcade Club, Almería) together with Erial and Loudly was brutal. It was a fantastic night, surrounded by friends, family and feeling the support of Almería’s alternative scene.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
The music scene is family, mutual support and cordiality. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that, despite the good intentions and the enormous effort, it costs so much to mount concerts and that the circuit is more alive.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Many bands, and of different styles. We love to discover new music, and also to give a taste of the classics, bands that always accompany us. Right now we are with Thou, Windhand, Daevar, La Joya, Torche, Floor, Death Angel, Celtic Frost, Soziedad Alkoholika…
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Music, and art in general, doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s something that happens at a certain moment. We like to improvise a lot, hehe.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Pleasures are pleasures and there’s no need to feel guilty. If you like something for whatever reason, enjoy it.
Can you say something more about the current music scene in Almería?
Despite the difficulties mentioned above, we have a brutal scene in Andalusia and southern Spain in general. Very important bands such as The Dry Mouths, Baläte, Orthodox, Santo Rostro, Rosy Finch…
The desert landscapes of Almería are ideal to give free rein to stoner and the most dense sounds.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We will be playing in Almería in August at Happy Moy Fest and in October at 1UPFEST.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
We have several new songs finished. The idea is to keep rehearsing, composing and enjoying every week. We will close some more gigs and in the not too distant future we will get back in the studio to record a new album.
How can people best support your band?
Just listening to our album on the different platforms such as Spotify, Bandcamp and YouTube.
And going to the concerts, of course, hehe.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
To listen to Cerro Gordo you have to turn up the volume, forget about the rest and let yourself be carried away by the low frequencies. Don’t forget to move your head slowly and forcefully, feel the flow.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well