Luzbel

Although heavy metal has not traditionally been viewed as a strength of Mexico on the world stage, the country has nevertheless produced a handful of notable acts that achieved substantial domestic popularity and, in the instance of Mexico City’s Luzbel—a Spanish designation for Satan—extended careers spanning multiple decades. The band originated in 1982 under lead guitarist Raul Greñas, who had resided in England since 1978 and absorbed the New Wave of British Heavy Metal before returning to his homeland. Alongside pioneering outfits such as Monterrey’s Crazy Lazy and Ciudad Juarez’s Death Warrant, Luzbel gradually established its identity while essentially constructing the Mexican heavy metal community from the ground up. Its trajectory diverged sharply after 1984 with the addition of vocalist Arturo Huizarin, whose prior credits encompassed fronting both the Los Angeles-based Inner Strength and the earlier local act Slumber. Completed by bassist Antonio "La Rana" Morante and drummer Sergio López, the group secured a deal with independent imprint Comrock and delivered its debut EP, Metal Caído del Cielo, the following year. When Comrock suddenly collapsed, Luzbel fortunately transferred to the Mexican WEA affiliate, which issued the landmark debut album Pasaporte al Infierno in 1986; that release established the band as Mexico’s premier heavy metal attraction and introduced replacement drummer Alejandro Vasquez, who contributed vocals and piano to one track. Just as the ensemble reached its commercial zenith, however, a rift between Huizar and Greñas halted momentum, prompting the singer to form his own project while Greñas enlisted vocalist Juan Bolaños of Poker as successor. By the time Luzbel resurfaced with a self-titled second album in 1989 and the quickly assembled follow-up ¡¿Otra Vez?! in 1990, its style had grown dated, and audiences had gravitated toward younger, English-language acts. The original lineup dissolved, yet Huizar and Greñas later reconciled sufficiently for the singer to appear on 1994’s La Rebelion de los Desgraciados, which featured the returning Vasquez and new bassist Zito Martinez; the reconciliation proved short-lived. Greñas subsequently assembled another configuration comprising Morante, Vasquez, vocalist Jorge Cabrera, and rhythm guitarist Fernando Landeros for 1997’s El Comienzo, only to recognize shortly afterward that the group’s run had concluded. He has since pursued additional musical endeavors and issued several Luzbel compilations, whereas Huizar launched a separate outfit named Lvzbel with which he has continued to record and perform.