The artist of the week: Nero (Colombia)

Glad to find this gem from Buga , Valle del Cauca,  Colombia. Let me introduce to the world Nero, they didn’t come out of a scene with major venues, corporate labels, or industry pipelines. They came out of the valley, out of rehearsal rooms and guitar cables coiled like snakes on the concrete floor. Out of genuine passion, stubbornness, and a need to say something bigger than themselves. Out of the kind of cultural terrain where choosing to be a metal musician isn’t just a lifestyle, it’s an act of survival, of resistance.They didn’t start with a logo. They started with someone saying: “I’ll try drums if you bring a riff.” That turned into two songs, then four, then a full set, then an identity. That in 2021. And now, years later, Nero is a refined storm. An evolving collective of musicians who’ve given their blood and time to their craft. They don’t just rehearse. They build. Every member, from Isabel Ossana’s raw and textural vocals to Andy and Rubén’s twin guitars, from Alejandro’s grounded, melodic bass to Andrés’s intelligent, intentional drumming, every person in this lineup adds something real. This isn’t a band formed around a trend. This is chemistry. This is connection.

Their journey hasn’t been fast. It hasn’t been easy. But it’s been honest. Some members have been playing for almost two decades. Some come from classical training, others from pure ear and instinct. But they all found something in metal that stuck, something spiritual, mathematical, emotional. They found form within chaos. And they called it Nero.

Current lineup:
Isabel Ossana – Vocals
Andy Lasso – Guitar
Rubén Salazar – Guitar
Alejandro Zapata – Bass
Andrés López – Drums

Before Isabel joined, the band already had soul. The songs already carried weight. But her arrival brought new depth. Her voice is powerful, but not performative. It’s emotional, but never indulgent. She’s not just singing lyrics, she’s delivering psychological truths, filtered through melody and fire. Is challenging to sing, It’s full of syncopation, metric shifts, and layered emotions. You don’t fake your way through Nero. You rise to its level.

νερό, Greek for “water”, is a perfect manifestation of what they are. It moves. It adapts. It crashes. It nourishes. Like water, it has no fixed shape, but it leaves a mark on everything it touches.

Now let’s dive into the influences: You can hear echoes of Opeth, Soen, Tool, Death, Paradise Lost, and Tiamat throughout the record. But you never feel like they’re imitating anyone. Their influences are part of the current, but the river flows in its own direction. Some songs feel like personal meditations. Others hit like declarations. There’s a track with a melodic phrasing that wouldn’t feel out of place on a '90s Anathema record, and then seconds later, you’re in brutal rhythmic terrain, locked into a drum pattern that forces you to listen with your whole body.

The way these songs are written is very collaborative. Rubén throws down a riff, Andrés matches a rhythm, and the whole thing starts to bloom. They revise, rework, rearrange, not to complicate, but to let the song reveal its best shape. Nero doesn’t jam. They construct. They sculpt. And this meticulous process is audible in every track.

There’s something extremely refreshing—and kind of rare—about how they embrace complexity without turning it into pretension. This is progressive music, yes. But it’s deeply human. There are no flashy solos for the sake of showing off. Everything has weight, context, meaning. It’s not prog for prog’s sake. It’s just… necessary.

And in a country where the scene often struggles for visibility, where fans are the lifeblood and not the algorithm, Nero is important. Because they remind us that Latin American metal isn’t just thriving—it’s evolving, expanding, introspecting. It’s not all blast beats and breakdowns. Sometimes it’s philosophy. Sometimes it’s memory. Sometimes it’s a scream that took twenty years to find its voice.

Listening to “Capti Inter Larvis” is like diving into a space where music and lyrics hold a constant conversation. From the first note, the band shows a mature technical command, not flashy for the sake of it, but focused on telling something real. Andrés López’s drumming drives complex yet natural rhythms, shifting pulse and pace to keep the energy flowing without losing metal’s raw intensity.

The guitars of Andy Lasso and Rubén Salazar almost speak their own language, moving between melodic passages and dense, heavy riffs that weave together like turbulent water currents. That fluidity fits perfectly with the essence of νερό, where change and contradiction are part of the message.

Isabel Ossana’s vocals come through with total conviction. It’s not just power or screams, it’s expression. She tells an inner story with every phrase, every subtle shift in tone. The lyrics, though fragmented and mysterious, revolve around identity, questioning the self versus the other, caught in cycles or metamorphosis, just like the title, with its almost Latin-philosophical vibe. “I am you… who are they?” repeats like a mantra, folding in on itself, creating a hypnotic dimension.

What really grabs me is how they make that conceptual exploration feel lived-in, not just theoretical. The music supports, emphasizes, and sometimes contradicts to give texture to the unrest the lyrics express. It’s not just intellectual talk, it’s a sonic and emotional experience.

As a listener, you end up immersed, almost trapped in that mesh of riffs, voices, and rhythms, like a thought you can’t shake. This is metal with substance, without losing its edge or energy. The production strikes the right balance so every instrument shines and the message comes through clear, without clutter.

“Capti Inter Larvis” confirms Nero’s evolution: a band unafraid to blend technical skill with emotional depth, complexity with honesty. For anyone wanting more than noise from metal, here’s poetry and power. It’s a piece that invites repeated listens, slowly revealing new shades and meanings, like water seeping through cracks in your mind. If you want something challenging yet engaging, smart yet heartfelt, this track is a perfect gateway into Nero’s current sound.

Currently, The band is working on recording their first full-length album. If you’re in this scene, support them. Share their music. Buy the album. Wear the shirt. Show up to the show. Because this isn’t just a band. It’s a statement. A living, breathing, ever-shifting body of sound. And we need more of that in metal.

socials:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/nerobandpro

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Neroband

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089741635173&locale=es_LA