Barón Rojo are a Spanish

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 heavy metal

Heavy metal music

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 band who reached international success in the 1980s

1980s

File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...

. The band is led by siblings Carlos and Armando de Castro, previously from the band Coz, and it is considered one of the most important representatives of Spanish hard rock bands, along with Obús. "Barón Rojo" in spanish is "Red Baron", the name of the band is an homage to Manfred von Richthofen

Manfred von Richthofen

Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen , also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I...

, and the eponymous song "Barón Rojo" is about him.

History

The band released their debut album Larga Vida al Rock and Roll in 1981, and the first single taken from the LP was Con Botas Sucias. It achieved moderate success, earning them several coverage from the media after winning a gold record selling certification. To promote the album, Barón Rojo made a tour around Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

.

They moved to London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 for the recording of their second album Volumen Brutal on the Kingsway studios, owned by Deep Purple's

Deep Purple

Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...

 frontman Ian Gillan

Ian Gillan

Ian Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...

. This album was released in two versions: one with the lyrics in Spanish and another sung in English. Bruce Dickinson

Bruce Dickinson

Paul Bruce Dickinson is an English singer, songwriter, airline pilot, fencer, broadcaster, author, screenwriter, actor and marketing director, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden....

 from Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...

 is credited for helping them with the translation. This led the band to international success specially in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, where they graced the cover of music magazine Kerrang!

Kerrang!

Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...

. The album, which included tracks like Los rockeros van al infierno, Incomunicación and Resistiré (Stand Up in English) sold two million copies in total.

In 27 August 1982 Barón Rojo played at Reading music festival

Reading and Leeds Festivals

The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...

, along with renowned bands as Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...

, Twisted Sister

Twisted Sister

Twisted Sister is an American heavy metal band from Long Island. Musically, the band implements elements of traditional heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, along with a style that is similar to early glam metal bands...

 and Marillion

Marillion

Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...

.

In 1983 Metalmorfosis, their third Studio album also recorded in London, was released and contained, amongst many other tracks, the well-known ballad Siempre estás allí.

After that, they released their fourth studio album En un lugar de la marcha in 1985 with songs as Hijos de Caín and Cuerdas de acero, as well as two live albums titled Barón al Rojo Vivo (1984) and Siempre Estáis Allí (1986).

From then on, the band began experimenting with new elements including orchestral compositions, as it can be heard on their 1987 album Tierra de Nadie.

By the end of 1989, after they released their album Obstinato, José Luis Campuzano “Sherpa” and Hermes Calabria leave the band, leaving the De Castro brothers with an ever-changing formation where components as Pepe Bao (bass) and Maxi González (vocals) stayed in the band for just one year, and Antonio del Nogal "Ramakhan" (drums) stayed for four years.

Desafío, released in 1992 and recorded in Madrid was produced by guitarist Carlos de Castro with Niko del Hierro on bass and José Antonio del Nogal "Ramakhan" playing drums.

After a two compilation albums, the studio album Arma Secreta (1997) and some legal disputes with record company Zafiro about the royalties of the previous albums, BMG released a double compilation album called Cueste lo que cueste, which included 31 hits by the band plus four new songs.

2001 saw the release of the album 20+, an allusion to the more than twenty years of existence of the band, and in 2003 the cover versions album Perversiones saw the light and featured cover versions from bands as Deep Purple

Deep Purple

Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...

, Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...

, Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix

James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...

, Janis Joplin

Janis Joplin

Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...

 and AC/DC

AC/DC

AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...

.

Drummer Vale Rodríguez left the band in 2005, a place José Martos took again for the second time.

By 2006 the band released Ultimasmentes, in which all the songs were sung by Carlos de Castro, except for the instrumental opening and finale.

Ángel Arias and José Martos left Barón Rojo in 2007, just after the live CD and DVD Desde Barón a Bilbao was released, and Tony Ferrer left the band in September, 2008. He was replaced by former Ñu basist Gorka Alegre.

They made a reunion concert on June 20, 2009 at the Metalway music festival in Zaragoza

Zaragoza

Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...

, with the original formation including José Luís Campuzano "Sherpa" doing vocals. That same year they released their last album yet: live album En Clave de Rock.

Current

• Carlos de Castro - lead vocals, guitar
• Armando de Castro - backing vocals, guitar
• Gorka Alegre - bass
• Rafa Díaz - drums

Past band members

• José Luis Campuzano "Sherpa" (1980 to 1989) - bass, vocals
• Hermes Calabria (1980 to 1989) - drums
• Máximo González (1991) - vocals
• Pepe Bao (1990 to 1991) - bass
• José Antonio del Nogal "Kamakhan (1991 to 1995) - drums
• Niko del Hierro (1991 to 1992) - bass
• José Luis Aragón (1993 to 1995) - bass, chorus
• Valeriano Rodríguez (1998 to 2005) - drums
• Angel Arias (1995 to 2007) - bass
• José Martos (1996 to 1998, 2005 to 2007) - drums
• Tony Ferrer (2007 to 2008) - bass
• Gorka Alegre (2008 to present) - bass

Studio Albums

• Larga vida al Rock And Roll - 1981
• Volumen brutal - 1982
• Metalmorfosis - 1983
• En un lugar de la marcha - 1985
• Tierra de nadie - 1987
• No va más - 1988
• Obstinato - 1989
• Desafío - 1992
• Arma secreta - 1997
• 20+ - 2001
• Perversiones - 2003
• Ultimasmentes - 2006

Live Albums

• Barón al rojo vivo - 1984
• Siempre estáis allí - 1986
• Barón en Aqualung - 2002
• Desde Barón a Bilbao - 2007
• En Clave de Rock - 2009 (with the Symphonic Band of the CIM of Mislata
  Mislata
  Mislata is a municipality in the Valencian Community, in Spain. It has borders with the city of Valencia and Quart de Poblet in the west and Xirivella in the south.-Population:...
  
  , Valencia)

Compilations

• Larga vida al Barón - 1995
• Cueste lo que cueste - 1999
• Las aventuras del Barón - 2006

Singles

• "Con botas sucias" ("With Dirty Boots") / "Chica de la ciudad" ("City Girl")
• "Barón rojo" / "Larga vida al rock n roll" ("Long Live Rock n' Roll")
• "Los rockeros van al infierno" ("Rockers Go to Hell") / "Incomunicación" ("Miscommunication")
• "Resistiré" ("I Will Resist") / "Hermano del rock & roll" ("Rock n' Roll Brother")
• "Casi me mato" ("I Almost Killed Myself") / "Tierra de vándalos" ("Land of Vandals")
• "Invulnerable" / "Herencia letal" ("Deadly Heritage")
• "El malo" ("The Evil One") / "Rockero indomable" ("Unstoppable Rocker")
• "Campo de concentración" ("Concentration Camp") / "Las flores del mal" ("Flowers of Evil")
• "Concierto para ellos" ("Concert for Them") / "Tierra de vándalos"
• "Breakthoven" / "Chicos del rock" ("Rock Kids")
• "Cuerdas de acero" ("Steel Strings") / "El baile de los malditos" ("Dance of the Damned")
• "Hijos de Caín" ("Sons of Cain") / "Caso perdido" ("Lost Cause")
• "Pico de oro" ("Golden Peak") / "El pedal"
• "Tierra de nadie" ("No Man's Land") / "El precio del futuro" ("The Price of the Future")
• "Travesía urbana" ("Urban Crossing") / "En tinieblas" ("In Darkness")
• "Trampa y cartón" ("Trap and Cardboard") / "Los domingos son muy aburridos" ("Sundays Are So Boring")
• "Get on your knees"
• "Alí Baba y los 40" / "Exorcismo" ("Exorcism")
• "Te espero en el infierno" ("I'll See You In Hell")
• "Stand up" / "You're telling me" / "Baron flies over England"
• "Arma secreta" ("Secret Weapon") /"Fugitivo" ("Runaway")
• "Cueste lo que cueste" ("Whatever It Takes") / "Resistiré" (new version)
• "Fronteras" ("Frontiers")
• "Concierto para ellos" (Live) / "20+"(Live)
• "Neon knights" / "What's next to the moon" / "Move over"

Other releases

• Barón en Divino - 2002 (DVD
  DVD
  A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
  
   / VHS
  VHS
  The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
  
  )
• El Rock de nuestra transición Barón - Obús - Asfalto - 2004 (DVD
  DVD
  A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
  
  )
• Live at the Reading Festival 1982 - Collector's Series 1999 (Bootleg CD)