When extreme metal speaks, it speaks with history, passion, and raw intensity. This week on Metal Detector, we sit down with Jorge Mackenzie, one of Colombia’s metal pioneers and the driving force behind Neurosis, a band that has been shaping the South American metal scene since 1987. From hand-made cassette demos to legendary albums like Verdun 1916 and Karma, Jorge takes us through decades of relentless creativity, the evolution of Colombian metal, and the unforgettable live shows that cemented Neurosis as a powerhouse in extreme music.

In this candid conversation, we dive into festival triumphs, the challenges of recording and touring in a growing metal scene, and the philosophy behind building a band that is both serious and true to its roots. Whether you’ve followed Neurosis since the early days or are discovering their legacy for the first time, Jorge’s insights reveal the heart and discipline behind a career that spans almost 40 years.

Watch the full interview and read the story behind the music, a journey through sound, sacrifice, and the unbreakable spirit of metal.

Bogotá’s underground metal scene has long been a crucible for extreme, uncompromising music, and few names embody this spirit more than Andrés Castro. As the founder of Bogotá Subterránea Fest, Andrés has dedicated decades to amplifying underground metal in Colombia, showcasing the most brutal, obscure, and uncompromising bands both locally and internationally. This year, the festival returns on August 29th and 30th, 2025 at Ace of Spades in Bogotá, featuring a lineup that spans the extremes of black, death, and war metal, including Merrimack, Weregoat, Volahn, Abismal Lord, Morbosatán, and a host of other underground legends.

Beyond curating unforgettable shows, Andrés has been instrumental through Factor Metal, a key platform for the dissemination and promotion of extreme metal in Colombia and across Latin America. In this interview, he takes us through the festival’s origins—from its first edition in 1991, the early underground bands like Akerrak, Sentencia, Nigfatus (later Nameless), and Averno, to the resurgence of Bogotá Subterránea in the international extreme metal circuit.

Andrés shares his philosophy for the festival, emphasizing attitude over popularity, a fierce dedication to the underground ethos, and a commitment to extreme music without compromise. He reflects on the festival’s impact on Bogotá and Latin America, its connections to underground scenes worldwide, and the legacy he hopes to leave with this final edition.

Whether you’re a long-time fan of extreme metal or discovering Bogotá Subterránea Fest for the first time, this conversation offers a rare glimpse into the mind of a promoter who lives and breathes the underground, creating spaces where extreme metal can thrive in its rawest, most authentic form.

In the underground realm of Black Metal, few figures carry the mystique, weight, and legacy of Lord Equimanthorn, leader and founder of Espectrum. Since its birth in 2005, the band has crafted an unrelenting sound drenched in ritual, fire, and darkness, becoming a key reference in Colombian black metal.

In this exclusive Metal Detector interview, Andrea Net dives into the mind of its creator to explore his beginnings, his rawest influences, the reasons behind Espectrum’s rare yet powerful stage appearances, and the ideology that fuels his music. We also uncover details of upcoming projects, including the highly anticipated vinyl release of Awakening in Darkness and the band’s participation in Nebiros’ historic anniversary show this October in Bogotá.

What follows is not just a conversation, but a descent into the depths of one of the most authentic and hidden forces in the Latin American extreme metal scene.

From Ethereal’s origins in the 1990s to their present-day revival with new voices and fresh releases, this intimate conversation dives deep into one of Colombia’s most enduring and shape-shifting metal bands.
They open up about their beginnings, lineup changes, sharing the stage with Megadeth and Therion, the impact of haters, and how music has become their form of catharsis and resistance.

A couple of days ago (sorry for the delay, it was a hectic weekend) we had an exclusive session with Hector from Luciferian, one of Colombia’s most formidable black metal forces since 1996. They’re about to unleash a new limited‑edition vinyl and exclusive reveal on the new album coming soon (just announced here at Metal Detector), symbolizing a ritualistic connection between band and listener. In this conversation, we are going to dive deep into their musical legacy, their approach to their fans , their upcoming concerts and how they manage the studio‑to‑stage translation, plus what’s next for Luciferian.

Let’s get into it.