The amount of fantastic talent from South America seems to be endless these days and one of those bands is Chilean metal champions SteelBack! Check out what these guys had to say when we caught up with them recently!

TheNwothm: Hey there! Can you tell us your band name, who is in the band and where you are from?

S.B: We are SteelBack, we are from Panquehue, a town in the province of Aconcagua in the Fifth Region of Valparaíso, Chile. The current members of the band are: David Pérez on drums, Jesús Pérez on rhythm guitar, Mauricio Saavedra on vocals, Esteban Calderón on bass and Oliver Madrid on lead guitar.

TheNwothm: Can you tell us about the origins of Steel Back? What brought you together as a band in Panquehue, Valparaíso, Chile?

S.B: The original band formed around 1997 when we were still teenagers. At that time it was called “Canibael” and several members joined during that time, among which were most of the friends who put together “SteelBack” definitively in 2018, Mauricio Saavedra, David Pérez, Jesús Pérez and Daniel Hernández.

TheNwothm: What inspired the name “Steel Back” for your band, and how does it reflect your music and ethos?

S.B: The name SteelBack was born from the concept of metal watches from the 90s that had the writing on the back cover “Stainless SteelBack Water Resistant” as a reference to the idea of ​​stainless steel, seeking to represent the music that has always moved us. to make metal, a music that does not die and that remains faithful to the concept of traditional heavy metal, although always looking for a current sound in the technical aspect, the name is in English, but the lyrics in our language in the spirit of being understood first for our countrymen. For us it was very important to understand the message we received from heavy metal in Spanish when we did not have access to translate lyrics as easily as we do today.

TheNwothm: In what ways do you infuse elements of Chilean culture or history into your music and lyrics?

S.B: We have very personal lyrics, which reflect what each of us has experienced particularly throughout life, from our vision and in a very honest way, but there are also others that tell stories based on the culture in which we grew up. Thus we have songs like “SteelBack” for example, which relate the experiences lived in our town while we were trying to make music, and others like “La Recta Provincia”, which relate legends from the Chiloé area, located in the south of Chile, a place which is loaded with mythology and ancient legends. This theme particularly alludes to a sect of witches that existed around 1880 and that was even tried and sentenced by the Chilean state of that time.

TheNwothm: Are there any specific Chilean metal bands or musical influences that have had a significant impact on your sound or approach to music?

S.B: Of course. We grew up listening to Chilean rock and heavy metal bands like Inquisición, Panzer, Tumulto, Turbo, other more power or progressive bands like Polimetro or Alta Densidad, and more of the thrash style, Criminal or Necrosis. And of the friendly bands that exist today and with whom we share the same passion for Heavy Metal, we could name Heiligen, Racer Steel, Dominio, Letalis and Iron Spell.

TheNwothm: Do you feel there is a big metal scene in Chile and South America in general?

S.B: Of course. There is a lot of movement around metal around here, with great bands from the entire range of styles that make up metal. A lot of underground movement and more active than ever, with interactions between Latin American countries as if we were one, countless bands that are born every day, where we notice that the eyes of the world also realize this movement and seek to get here, bringing also large stadium stage concerts where national bands can open shows for renowned world bands. At the same time, bangers form production companies on many occasions just to bring in bands that the big production companies wouldn’t, so there is a scene for all tastes on this side of the world.

TheNwothm: Your demo “Después de muerto” was released in 2018. Can you tell us a bit about the demo and how did that early recording shape the direction of your subsequent albums?

S.B: The demo “Después de Muerto” was recorded at CL.Audio de Los Andes, live, as a way to capture what we had been doing from an impetus purely motivated by the passion for playing heavy metal. That demo was very well received locally and opened doors for us to play in other locations in the country, mainly in the capital, Santiago, and that generated interest in recording a professional album and releasing it in CD Pro format, re-recording those same songs. and adding a couple of new compositions.

TheNwothm: As a band, how do you navigate the balance between preserving the integrity of heavy metal as a genre and incorporating innovation and experimentation into your music? 

S.B: The essence of heavy metal is already engraved in our blood. What motivated us from the beginning is what leads us to compose our songs, and that remains true, obviously from our personal tastes, which may not be to everyone’s taste, but it does maintain that essence of what moves us as lovers. of the style. The incorporation of new tools is something that we consider should always be sought, especially when it comes to sound. Our greatest influences recorded with what existed at the time, but today we have options that make it easier for an underground band to achieve an optimal sound and we must take advantage of it. Maybe younger bands sometimes become obsessed with replicating the sound of the ’80s, but maybe that’s just a side effect of not having lived through it. In our band there are a couple of members who live it to the fullest and are impressed by what can be achieved today.

TheNwothm: How do you approach songwriting as a band? Do you find yourselves drawing from personal experiences, storytelling, or a combination of both? 

S.B: Each composition of the band is particular. At some point we wanted to make a concept album but the ideas were very diverse, so we chose to make each song a different story. Thus, themes were born that referred, for example, to everyday life, and others that told fictional stories, epic battles or mental imbalances. Most of the songs are written by Mauricio and Jesús, and then worked together with the rest of the band to cut or add the parts that are necessary and thus reach an original result and, above all, entertaining to perform.

TheNwothm:”El poder de la bestia” was released in 2022. What were some of the challenges and highlights during the recording process of this full-length album? 

S.B: Precisely “El Poder de la Bestia” was exposed to many challenges. We started recording it in 2020, when we were at the climax of a powerful social outbreak here in Chile, which had the authorities in check, and where there was a lot of active movement on the part of people looking for forceful changes at the political level. In that context, we reached a deal with a recording studio in the area called “LV Estudios” in mid-January 2020. And it was at the end of that same month that the global alert for Covid-19 was decreed, which stalled the start of recording for several months. Then, since the situation was not improving, we had to start recording with the restrictions that this meant, which greatly limited the entire process and also delayed it considerably. Many of the ideas we had regarding sound could not be realized and we had to improvise in several aspects, however the support of the studio managed to carry out the project that we were only able to launch in 2022.

TheNwothm: Can you share any memorable stories or experiences from the studio while recording “El poder de la bestia”?

S.B: That is to say, the social outbreak in Chile and the global pandemic were the tone that marked the experiences lived at that time. But the most memorable thing about that process, I would say, was the fact of having to evade all the restrictions of the authorities to be able to record the album (restrictions that I think were used here to quell that social uprising that threatened the elite), but That meant meeting in the studio, breaking all the rules, arriving almost incognito and separately so as not to raise suspicions from the neighbors or the police and military deployed everywhere. It was very difficult to get beers too, but we managed to get them and close each day of recording with a toast in honor of heavy metal and friendship. Therefore, it was a process full of complicity in the midst of a crisis, between friends and to be able to release a heavy metal album, which is why I think it is a great story to tell young people for when we are old.

TheNwothm: On a different note can you tell our readers a bit about yourselves? What do you like to do in your spare time?

S.B: Jesús: Oh well, I practically spend all day and all week working on metal. My official job is Graphic Design, and for several years now I have dedicated myself exclusively to rock and metal, with album covers, animated video clips, logos and everything that has to do with metal culture. Since I work independently, that consumes all my free time, but since it is what I am passionate about, I am not complaining. Beyond life with my partner and my son, I live immersed in this, my friends are from the metal scene, in our free time we rehearse or play, on the weekends we have a drink with friends planning new projects and beyond watching an animated film from time to time (which is something I’m passionate about too), my entire life revolves around metal nowadays.

TheNwothm: And can you tell us about the instruments you play? Any collectors in the band? 

S.B: I, Jesús, play guitar in SteelBack and bass in other projects. I like to collect records from national bands, although I can’t cover much (I know real collectors), and in the band we meet people with different musical interests within metal, so each one has their own personal collection, which we share around their “grill roast” or friendship gatherings.

TheNwothm: “Alligators” followed closely after “El poder de la bestia.” How did the band approach the writing and recording process for this album differently? 

S.B: For “Alligators” we followed the same process as the first album, since we were advanced and still had many songs to publish, so we chose to take advantage of the momentum and make it happen once and for all, since the ideas are not finished and there is still a lot to do . Basically this second album was intended as a consequence of the first. At some point we thought about making a single album, or releasing a double album, but the restrictions of the moment prevented it. Surely the third album will take a little more time.

TheNwothm: Can you delve into the creative process behind crafting the songs on “Alligators”? Were there any particular influences or experiences that shaped its sound? 

S.B: The compositions on “Alligators” are a little darker and a little more complex than those on the first album. Here we also add an intro in an epic tone to evoke the beginning of a battle whose climax is the song “Alligators” which is literally the description of this battle, with many changes of rhythm and intensity. It is a long song that seeks to represent that fatigue that causes an intense struggle between opposing forces that can be understood as a deep conflict within the mind of the character described on the cover and in the lyrics. Finally, all this ends with a funereal melody of a guitar that seems to be played by a dead person from the depths of a grave (“Terreno Oscuro”), to close this odyssey.

TheNwothm:”Alligators” was released in 2023. Looking back, how do you feel about the reception and impact of the album? 

S.B: We feel quite satisfied with the reception of the album, considering that it was released at a time when we were left with half of the members and we could not play live to promote it properly, however, despite that, it had an even better reception than the first album, especially in countries in Asia and Europe.

TheNwothm: Are there any tracks on “Alligators” that stand out to you personally, either for their lyrical content, musical composition, or emotional resonance?

S.B: Precisely the homonymous song of the album is the one that we are most passionate about, especially to play. It is a song that is composed with great intensity and is loaded with changes of rhythm, which are the things we like the most when playing.

That song is made for us, to enjoy on stage, in the rehearsal room, at the party with the acoustic guitar (haha). However, there is another song on the album that also excites us when it comes to playing, it is “Animal y Metal”, which talks about personal experiences of madness of members of the band that led them to compose it under the influence of alcohol as well and which has moments of climax that feel very intense when we play it and that we have noticed is transmitted to the audience when they listen to it.

TheNwothm: “El poder de la bestia” and “Alligators” both have striking album covers. Could you discuss the symbolism behind them and their connection to the music?

S.B: Both covers refer to the story that was the genesis of the band since 1997. At that time I was in school and I invented a comic that I titled “Canibael” that tells the story of two brothers who are born cursed and basically end up destroying the world. As a result of that I formed the first band called “Canibael” from which two songs from the demo “Después de Muerto” emerged with SteelBack. The characters from that comic are captured on the covers of both albums.

And the situations in which they are involved are chapters of that story. Many song lyrics (“Alligators” or “Tiempos de Fuego” for example) are also part of that story. So then we see on the cover of “El Poder de la Bestia” a teenager fleeing his family’s house in the countryside, after burning it completely, as a metaphor for burning a past of misfortune. Already on the second cover, further in the future, he destroys an entire main street of a metropolis and is pursued by mythological figures of disappearing religions, with which he himself is ending… The idea for a third cover would be the closing of the cycle, where the same character would appear older and with biomechanical implants that replace the mutilations of the battles he has fought throughout his path of transformation.

TheNwothm: Can you share any memorable experiences from touring or performing live, particularly ones that highlight the connection between Steel Back and your fans? 

S.B: At the Heavy Metal festival, “You Can’t Stop Steel” organized by Wolf Prods. At the beginning of 2021, we were able to show previews of the album that was being worked on and invite colleagues from other bands in our area who were invited to participate in a song from the album as well (“El Poder de la Bestia”), performing on stage and marking a very intense moment of connection with the public.

TheNwothm: Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for Steel Back, both musically and live in the coming years?

S.B: At this moment we are in a process of restructuring the band, since we had to change two members, however we hope in a couple of months to have a solid repertoire for live performances and in the second semester to start creating new compositions for a third album, which we hope to record within 2025.

TheNwothm: Where can fans buy your music and merch?

S.B: Our music can be purchased in physical format (Cd Pro) and digital at:

TheNwothm: Is there anything else you would like to mention?

S.B: We would like to thank the support we have received from the international community to listen to us and purchase copies, as well as send us your supportive comments and opinions of the band. For us, the reception that our music has had beyond our borders has been very gratifying and drives us to continue creating new material and share this passion for heavy metal that will never end.