Spanish bluesy stoner/doom rock band Baläte presents their debut full-length album, »El Quemadero«

Hailing from Almería, Spain, bluesy stoner/doom rock band Baläte presents their debut full-length album, »El Quemadero«, which was just released on February 21st, 2021 via Aneurisma Records, DoomWitch, La Rubia Producciones, Pulgasari Faith Foundation and Violence In The Veins.

Tracklisting:
01. Botas anchas, soga al cuello
02. Gettin’ Old
03. Raccoon Verbena Horror
04. Procesionaria
05. Gato Gordo
06. Laroya
07. Road To Loma Cabrera
08. El Zapillo Blues

From Violence In The Veins:

»El Quemadero« is the first full-lenth studio record by Baläte from Almería, Spain. It was recorded between the 3th and 5th of July, 2020, in Desert City Studio (Almería) by musician and producer Pike Cavelero. Till this date, the band formed in 2013 has only released one single, »Stoned Kraken«, which can be tuned at the Bandcamp site of the band and in its YouTube channel. The band also has a long history of live shows and fests, opening for and sharing stages with great bands as The Dry Mouths, Grajo, Rosy Finch, Bourbon, Árida, Santo Rostro, Horizon, Rotor, and many others.

The eight songs are a journey through the long way the band has walked during these years in order to get to the release of the album and encapsulate the essence of Baläte’s sound: elements from Stoner, Doom and Sludge genres based in heavy riffing, rawness, density, bluesy vibes and 70’s rock groovy swinging. Lyrically, the tracks pay tribute to the band’s passion for b-series movies, wild nature, Almería’s oppressive atmospheres and local dark folk tales and stories. The cover art of the album is a psychedelic representation of the so-called “Ermita de las ánimas benditas” (Huecija, Almería), an isolated hermitage temple in the mountains where every year a pilgrimage takes place to ask the elder spirits of the dead to burn the sorrows and griefs of life in exchange of an offering. It fits with the idea of the title, »El Quemadero« (»The Burner« in Spanish), a metaphor of our own tough pilgrimage to the album.

The idea of recording live was considered the best to recreate the very heavy, raw, dense and groovy sound and attitude of the band, and it is intended to become a hallmark of future Baläte’s recordings. The album artwork was made by Gonzalo Santana, an Andalusian artist who has worked for some of the most important bands of the Andalusian scene, such as Orthodox or Pylar. The inside cd booklet illustrations were made by Alba Malki herself, proving his wide range of artistic talents.

The album was released in digital platforms and in CD format by the independent labels Aneurisma Records, DoomWitch, La Rubia Producciones, Pulgasari Faith Foundation and Violence In The Veins.

Baläte is:
Alba Malki – Bass, Vocals
Antonio Lajara – Guitars, Synths, Backing Vocals
Juanjo Ufarte – Drums, Synths, Backing Vocals
Paco Pérez – Guitars

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well