As the independent music scene in Puerto Rico grows, artists from past generations continue to be a part of it. Take for example Dantesco, the epic doom metal band from Cayey who continue to perform and release projects, or the punk group La Experiencia de Toñito Cabanilla$$$, who recently celebrated their 24th anniversary alongside Juventud Crasa, Space Corolla, and Las Ardillas. Last March, 9 Vidas, an alternative rock and grunge ensemble which has been performing for over 20 years, released a new EP, “Fugaces,”
(album art for the project)
As mentioned previously, 9 Vidas is a group that emerged from the alternative rock and grunge fueled 1990s, and in their most recent project they are not afraid to demonstrate said sounds. In “Eres libre,” the first song from Fugaces, the band makes very clear it holds the 90s close to their hearts. Afterwards, with “Darte el sol,” the band takes their knowledge of the aforementioned genres to deliver what seems to be a blend between Nirvana’s grunge and Foo Fighters’ alternative rock. However, the group takes a different direction with the EP’s closer, “Niebla blues,” experimenting with a blend of dark grunge and blues reminiscent of Alice in Chains and early Black Sabbath in a song that could be interpreted in a variety of ways.
In sum, 9 Vidas’ latest EP demonstrates that grunge is still part of Puerto Rico’s underground, and that some musicians still use it as a way to express themselves. Furthermore, it serves as an example of a band that, despite being underground for most of their career, is passionate about what they do and are willing to continue playing while contributing to their culture.
Listen to the “Fugaces” EP on Bandcamp
All of the pictures in this article were found in the group’s Facebook page