Musical hybrid
Metalachi looks forward to playing for ABQ ‘homies’
Metal mariachi group Metalachi has quite the effect on people. It is not unusual for mosh pits to open during the group’s cover of Journey’s pop rock hit “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” or for a fight to happen when Metalachi is belting out a love song.
“I thought that was the funniest thing,” said Metalachi trumpet player El Cucuy. “I was like, ‘Wow, I don’t even know if there’s even been a mosh pit when Journey is doing a show.’ And those awkward things happen like that. It is so funny with us, it’s like nine out of 10 times when a fight breaks out at a Metalachi show, we’re playing a love song. Go figure, right? We’ll be like ‘Every rose has its thorn,’ and they’ll be throwing fists. We play (the ballad) “More Than Words,” and people are doing karate kicks.”
After he was born in Juárez, El Cucuy’s mother moved him and his brother, Max “Dirty” Sanchez, to East Los Angeles to live with family. The boys were introduced to mariachi music through uncles who worked as mariachis in the area. El Cucuy learned trumpet, and his brother violin. Friends introduced them to metal music, and after listening to Black Sabbath’s album “Paranoid,” they were hooked. As teens, the brothers decided to have some fun and do a version of Black Sabbath’s song “Iron Man” mixed with “El Jarape Tapatio,” otherwise known as the Mexican Hat Dance song, and Metalachi was born.
“There was one quinceñera that we played at and we just decided let’s just try it and see what the people think,” El Cucuy said. “And we played it and the people just went crazy. They started dancing and just jumping up and down. That’s how it all kind of started.”
When Sanchez left the band to travel the world, El Cucuy’s sister, Kyla Vera, took over violin duties. Fans have embraced her, but some male fans can get a little too excited.
“Sometimes guys cross the line, and we have to watch out for her,” El Cucuy said.
El Cucuy looks forward to performing the group’s version of the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. Metalachi has also added a surprise cover of a song by Tool to the set list, which Albuquerque fans will get to hear at Sister on Dec. 14.
“We always look forward to going to Albuquerque, because our fan base there gets really crazy,” El Cucuy said. “They get loud, and we love that. They also love to laugh with us. Whenever we play in Albuquerque, it just feels like we’re playing with a bunch of homies, just joking around, having a good time, party on. We’re looking forward to that.”