Heroes Del Silencio

Between 1987 and 1995, Spain's Héroes del Silencio were the very definition of rock en español. Fronted by the enigmatic singer/songwriter Enrique Bunbury, their sound was defined by the inventive guitar playing of Juan Valdivia, bassist Joaquin Cardiel, and virtuoso drummer Pedro Andreu. Their music evolved from an atmospheric, complex meld of post-punk, Gothic, Celtic, and folkloric Spanish influences (including flamenco) during their earliest years to post-punk, riff-heavy hard rock later on. Their first EP, 1987's Héroe de Leyenda, sold more than 30,000 copies. Their 1988 debut album, El Mar No Cesa, was certified platinum a week after its release. The band toured Europe and the Americas relentlessly. They enlisted Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera as producer for 1990's Senderos de Traició and 1993's El Espíritu del Vino -- both went multi-platinum and topped the charts. In the aftermath, touring rhythm guitarist Alan Boguslavsky joined the lineup as a full-time member. Avalancha, their final studio outing, was cut in Los Angeles with producer Bob Ezrin and showcased a much more riff-centric, metallic sound, and fans ate it up. They split in 1996 but reunited for a ten-show tour in 2007 resulting in a live album. In 2021, Netflix aired director Alexis Morante's documentary film Heroes: Silencio y Rock and Roll with participation from the original quartet and others.

The first seeds of Héroes del Silencio were planted in the group Zumo de Vidrio, formed by guitarist Juan Valdiva with family members. Enrique Bunbury later became its bassist. When Valdiva heard Bunbury sing a David Bowie cover, however, he moved him into the lead vocal spot and changed their name to Héroes del Silencio in 1985. The new lineup included bassist Joaquin Cardiel and drummer Pedro Andreu. With Bunbury and Valdiva writing the songs, they gelled quickly, cutting demos that amounted to little but quickly establishing themselves as a high-energy live act with an unusual sound. Word of mouth ensured they were selling out most shows by late 1986. In 1987 they took second place in a battle of the bands in Salamanca. Ole Ole member and EMI producer/A&R man Gustavo Montesano was in the audience. Impressed, he caught another show a few weeks later and, convinced of his original impressions, signed them to the label.

In late 1987, Héroes del Silencio issued their debut EP, Héroe de Leyenda; it sold more than 320,000 copies due to the band's burgeoning live reputation. They followed by playing dozens of shows across Spain. Their full-length debut, 1988's El Mar No Cesa, was co-produced by Montesano and Roberto Durruty. The set was greeted with enthusiasm when radio picked up the single "Mar Adentro." The album was certified platinum within a week of its release. The band were delighted but slightly concerned as the album offered a softer, more pop-oriented sound than their live shows did. To that end, they released the live outing En Directo in 1989.

The band enlisted fan and Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera to produce their second long-player, 1990's Senderos de Traicion. Recording in London, he brought out their post-punk roots, highlighting the interplay between Valdiva's increasingly inventive guitar playing that drew on Celtic, Gothic, and flamenco root sources, driving hard rock rhythms, and Bunbury's forceful presence as both singer and lyricist. The set topped the Spanish charts and was certified triple platinum. In Germany it peaked inside the Top 20 and went platinum, and registered another platinum certification in Switzerland where it reached inside the Top 40. The support tour took Héroes del Silencio to North America. While playing in Mexico., they met future rhythm guitarist Alan Boguslavsky. The band also sold out concerts in various European countries including Germany (where their appearance at a Rock Against Racism benefit concert won them a legion of new fans) and Belgium. A subsequent live document entitled Senda 91' resulted from this tour.

Héroes del Silencio stuck with Manzanera as producer for 1993's double-length El Espiritu del Vino. It netted five charting singles, including two number ones in "Nuestros Nombres" and "La Herida." The album topped the chart in Spain and landed inside the Top Ten in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland on its way to multi-platinum certification. Naming their support tour El Camino del Exceso, the band hired Boguslavsky as a touring (and then permanent) rhythm guitarist and sold out shows in Germany, Austria, Portugal, Italy, Mexico, Argentina, U.S.A, Chile, Finland, and Hungary.

Héroes del Silencio's constant cycle of activity over the previous six years had taken its toll on individual members. Pressures mounted and tensions between Bunbury and Valdiva emerged. External events such as the deaths of their road manager Martin Druille in 1993 and Bunbury's brother, Rafael, in 1994 contributed to the pressure.

In 1995 the group traveled to Los Angeles, enlisted noted rock producer Bob Ezrin, and cut their final studio outing, Avalancha, in several area studios. New member Boguslavsky co-composed several songs for the date. With Ezrin helming the album sessions, hard rock was the album's dominant flavor. Its two advance singles, "Iberia Sumergida" and "La Chispa Adecuada," topped the Spanish charts, while the title track went into top rotation on MTV Europe. The finished album entered the Spanish charts at number one and placed in the Top 40 in several European countries. With the album certified triple platinum, the band undertook an 18-month tour of Europe and the Americas, resulting in more than 150 shows. The video single for "La Chispa Adecuada" won video of the year at the Billboard Latin Music Awards, but the writing was on the wall.

Collective exhaustion took its toll and conflicts between members became more frequent and personal. During the tour, Bunbury wrote songs for a solo album. Shortly before the tour's conclusion, the band held a press conference and announced a temporary split. It was much more than that; Bunbury and Valdiva were barely speaking to one another. After the announcement, a final show in Los Angeles was canceled. The double-live LP Para Siempre was released, drawn from two 1993 concerts in Spain.

In 1997, Bunbury issued his solo debut, Radical Sonora, with Chrysalis. The following year, Rarezas, a collection of rare and unreleased tracks, was issued by EMI under protest from virtually all the members of Héroes del Silencio. In 2005, the audio/video package El Ruido y la Furia was released, documenting a 1993 concert in Madrid. It topped the Spanish album charts and was followed by the 2006 retrospective multi-CD/DVD package Héroes del Silencio: The Platinum Collection.

Buoyed by the continued success of their catalog and the sales of the previous year's live album, Héroes del Silencio reunited in 2007 for a ten-date stadium tour, playing Guatemala City, Buenos Aires, Monterrey, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Sevilla, Zaragoza, and Valencia, with Valdiva's brother Gonzalo as rhythm guitarist. They sold out every venue -- the smallest had 20,000 seats. Upon their return, they issued Tour 2007 as a deluxe package containing two CDs and two DVDs along with other tour memorabilia. It peaked at three in Spain but went to number one in Mexico. In 2011, EMI issued the audio/video package Live in Germany, which included selections performed on their 1993 tour. In 2021, Netflix acquired Alexis Morante's documentary film Heroes: Silencio y Rock and Roll that charted the rise of Héroes del Silencio with participation from all four original members. WEA Spain released a 30-cut soundtrack of the same title. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi