Jerry Vergara Cevallos
drums
Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr.
bass
Alejandro Londoño Montoya
guitar / vocals
Juan De Ferrari Montoya
guitar
VIDEO
Studio report 2022
Video Clip "The World And Its Lies"
MUSIC
Album sampler (unreleased)
BIOGRAPHY
Cultura Tres is a band with a history of defiance and perseverance that started more than a decade ago in the small town of Maracay, Venezuela.
The band had been until then a DIY powerhouse that steadily gained the respect of the South- American sludge-doom scene.
During the sludge-doom era of the band, guitarist brothers Alejandro and Juanma Montoya brought out a number of independent releases, but despite various musical highlights such as touring Europe, Japan and South-America or being declared “Discovery of the month” by Metal Hammer UK, the early aspirations of the Montoya’s would lack the resources and team members to reach the next level. A number of financial challenges and even personal tragedy would eventually put years of silence to the their musical output.
The early efforts of the brothers wouldn’t go totally unnoticed by recognised musicians and publications though. Cultura Tres would be mentioned and even featured despite its unsigned status. Magazines such as; Burrn (Japan), Decibel (USA) would praise the band’s originality and bands such as Sepultura and Lamb of God would often be seen wearing Cultura Tres t-shirts during live performances.
Noticing the prevalent interest in the rarity of these early DIY releases, the Montoya’s re-gained the energy to ignite a new Cultura Tres, this time within a team with similar aspirations, and with a renewed artistic vision. A new vision of what South-American heavy music should sound like.
In 2019 after hearing about the plans for a new Cultura Tres, old friend Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. (bass player of the almighty Sepultura), surprised the brothers by offering to join in.
And who better than Paulo to help shape a sound representing South-American metal? Of course Alejandro and Juanma were honoured and happy to welcome him on board.
Soon after, the first demo sessions took place in a studio in Amsterdam where the three musicians explored new ideas and found a musical common ground. The resulting style retained elements of the psychedelic-sludgy past, but incorporated the groove of a more metal oriented vibe that Paulo brought in with his Sepultura influence.
After these sessions it became clear that the 4th member of the band had to be not only skilled but also familiar with South-American grooves, and since the driving force behind Cultura Tres was now friendship and artistic view, it made Jerry Vergara Cevallos an obvious choice. Jerry, a Venezuelan- Colombian drummer and close friend, was an exceptional performer who shared the same obsession with creating metal with a new twist. He was delighted with the demos and joined immediately.
During the following three years and despite of the pandemic, Cultura Tres would go deep in the making of the album “Camino de Brujos” (Trail of Witches), an album that explores new and old musical textures;
The power of thrash-metal with the eeriness of sludge and the melancholic feel of classic rock, all through the scope of organic and realistic recordings, evoking the way heavy rock sounded before “over producing” became a thing.
Listen for yourself to “Camino de Brujos” and let the music lure you into its darkness, heaviness and beauty. You won’t be disappointed.
PRESS
10/10 Skrik Zine (Norway)
"This is an epic masterpiece that will stand the test of time and stand as the monument it is.”
Decibel Magazine (USA)
“Cultura Tres are a post-metal band turning the sub-genre on its head. (...) sludgy sound draws from groove and death metal, as well as tribal music influences. Mixed together, it’s a sinister-sounding concoction that sets the band apart.”
The Sludgelord (UK)
“Rezando Al Miedo is a groove laden masterpiece that proves Cultura Tres are possibly the finest South American Metal band currently out there"
Terrorizer Magazine (UK) 4/5
"The sense of threat and wrongness is matched only by the slightly hysterical joy of immersing yourself in it."
Burrn (Japan)
The band's style of dark, gloomy riffs (...) is strong, tight, and as heavy as it unique.
Echoes and Dust (UK)
"...the Venezuelan 4 piece have created an darkly evocative soundscape that by parts leaves you exhilarated, unnerved and queasy..." John Sturm,
Cosmic Tentacles (Spain) 9/10
“A jewel with which Culture Tres show they are one of the most important metal bands of this damn planet...."
Sonic Abuse (UK)
"Sludge? Doom? Progressive? Forget genres – Cultura Tres did when they wrote this challenging work of art" Philip Stiles,
Paranoid Hitsophrenic (US)
"It's not long before you realize that this album is a tour de force, a masterpiece even."
Temple of Perdition (France)
“......Cultura Tres rank among the most unique bands of their time.” Andreas Schiffmann.
84/100 Lords of Metal (The Netherlands)
"Again a strong and very varied album with that apart dark and eerie South American style...."
www.raig.ru (Russia)
"The best album of these Venezuelans, and it could very well qualify for the honorary title of "best in the genre."
metalbandcamp.com
"Cultura Tres must have a special incantation that melts it all down into this breathtaking masterpiece."
Doommantia.com (USA) – 9/10
Cultura Tres didn’t sit still on their sudden big early success, but were able to push towards evolution of their dark sound with great diversity: sludge, doom, and occasionally touches of post-metal, dark psychedelia and even folk music. (...) I got haunted by their album: these guys are “deep underground” and sound so well ....
BeardRock.com (UK)
“Cultura Tres manage to strike a raw nerve that most new UK and US bands don't quite hit.”
TheSleepingShaman.com (UK)
“With this album under their belts it will only be a matter of time before Cultura Tres are huge.”
MetalDisciple.com (USA)
“I feel blind-sided by how magnificent this album sounds.”
Orlandooom.com (USA) - 9/10
This is haunting stuff, definitely something to listen to with headphones in a dark room. So many emotions are elicited from El Mal del Bien's contemplative swells...
Grinder Magazine (Chile) – 5/5
Followers of Sludge / Doom pay attention: Cultura Tres is an amazing Venezuelan band. Their second - most acclaimed - album sounds heavy, dense and intense.
Stonerrock.hu (Hungary) - 9/10
Overall, this LP is brilliant, it was long ago that I heard such a daring band. Their songs sound as one style, and yet each is completely different, showing three different faces: sludge, doom and psychedelic rock.
The Sludge Lord (UK)
Top-notch Doom/Sludge Metal from our hugely talented South American cousins. This new release is their best work yet: nothing comes close to this amazing album.
Stonerobixxx.blogspot.com (Belgium)
Furious South American sludge/ doom metal: 'El Mal del Bien' is a really dynamic, non-linear trip in the genre.
PuroRuido.blogspot.com (Argentina)
One of the most interesting sludge/doom bands these days, hails from Venezuela.
The Soda Shop (USA)
Get this sludgey good album now!
The Soda Shop (USA)
Complete darkness rules the world of Cultura Tres. Think Puya, Mars Volta and Alice In Chains meeting up in a dark alley with machetes and maracas. I love this shit!
Spark (Czech)
Revolutionary resistance runs through the entire record, and Cultura Tres has no trouble in enabling its listeners to share its pain and annoyance with global politics. This band obviously has no need for compromises.