Biography
Sons of Texas embody a straightforward heavy metal approach rooted in their Texas origins, delivering rugged, unflashy hard rock laced with blues influences. Five longtime friends from McAllen assembled the group in 2013, with Jes de Hoyos and Jon Olivares handling guitars, Mark Morales fronting as lead vocalist, Nick Villarreal anchoring the low end on bass, and his sibling Mike Villarreal powering the kit on drums. Situated close to both the Mexican frontier and the Gulf of Mexico, McAllen fostered a compact rock community where players frequently traded places across outfits, allowing the eventual bandmates to already recognize one another's strengths before uniting. Momentum from their forceful live sound quickly extended across the Southwest, prompting a 2014 agreement with the established independent Razor & Tie Records. Josh Wilbur, whose prior credits include Lamb of God and Hatebreed, committed to the debut after viewing under a minute of one YouTube clip, resulting in the March 2015 arrival of Baptized in the Rio Grande. After two years of relentless road work, the musicians returned to Wilbur's production for their sophomore effort, Forged in Fortitude, issued in 2017.
Albums
