Metalachi’s Texas Return Gathers Mariachi and Metalheads Alike

The crossroads where metal meets mariachi are few and far between, but the combination feels like a perfect match made in some diabolical alternate universe.  Take the mariachi singers, trained to have full body voices that can project into a crowd over trumpet players blasting melodies in harmony while a guittarón holds down the low end, bringing the traditional sounds and rhythms of the national son mexicano to life. No amplification, no microphones, just sheer power and technique. 

Now imagine the traditional mariachi catalogue, an electric violin and trumpet dueling through the iconic opening riff of the late Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train.” Add in the glam of ‘80s hair metal, shredding electric guitar and a singer who can capture the power of metal and mariachi in one band. The result: Metalachi.

Easily recognizable from their looks, the band wears costumes that combine the aesthetic of Axl Rose with traje de charro, the ornately fashioned suits styled after Mexican cowboys, with shining silver botonaduras on their jackets and down the side of their black pant legs, set off by intricate embroidery work. Swap sombreros for hot pink zebra-striped bandanas and include mariachi-style performances of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” or the crowd favorite “Tequila,” and the energy of the band and the audience becomes undeniable.

Metalachi was born from “a long night of music, tequila and mariachi-loving metal heads,” according to the band’s website. Hilarious music videos, including their rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” featuring a sad payaso, or clown, have helped the band garner millions of views while capturing what they are all about: bringing the block party to as many people as possible.

Before the band existed, several of its members were classically trained mariachis, including Victor Wichmann, the powerhouse singer who boasts glorious hair metal locks and a professional career in vocal coaching. 

Pancho Rockefeller, another original member who has also been playing mariachi since childhood, plays guitarrón, the iconic instrument that looks like an oversized guitar and “holds down” the low end, similar to the bass guitar. 

The lead guitar playing of Paco Halen, combined with the mariachi rhythms and style he brings to the table, is one of the features that set the band apart from the beginning. “Paco really leveled up the band,” stated Metalachi’s electric violinist, Kayla Vera, in an interview with the Observer. 

Vera proceeded to tell her own story as a mariachi before auditioning for the group ten years ago.

The first album Vera ever recorded was the Grammy Award-winning Cancíones de Amor, by Mariachi Divas, back in 2008. “Mariachi music is really special to me because it’s my heritage and I wanted to be close to where my family came from in some way, so I was balancing that out with my desire to be a total metal head,” stated Vera, who first saw Metalachi at the Viper Room in Los Angeles over a decade ago.

Shortly after the show, she found out their violinist was leaving and her friends encouraged her to try out for the band. Despite her doubts, she devised a plan to have the group she was performing with open up for Metalachi and not long after, she became the band’s very own starstruck violinist.  

Vera, who also works as the band’s manager, has helped Metalachi move toward shows that would introduce them to a wide range of audiences. With Atomic Music Group doing their booking, she hopes that the band can make a living solely off performing for years to come. “These guys really do work hard to be touring like they do,” said Vera, commenting on how members leave their families and animals behind to keep touring on top of working jobs between gigs. 

Their fans are making that goal a reality. A recent video on Metalachi’s Facebook page includes the band’s rendition of “Tequila,” featuring a delighted crowd partying and singing along while their trumpet player, Pollo Loco, brings to life the classic guitar riffs of the song. The dedication to perfecting the fusion of the two genres is clear, as is their spectacular live show.

For the two North Texas dates, Metalachi will be joined by the ballet folklorico group from Grand Prairie, Las Estrellas de Tejas led by Jose Alvarez, who is thrilled to be sharing the stage with the internationally touring act. Ballet folklorico is the traditional form of Mexican folk dancing, and is often recognizable by the long, flowing skirts with ruffles and braided hair worn by the dancers.

“The wardrobe is based on what the actual people from each region of Mexico would have worn in the past,” explained Alvarez, commenting on the elaborate variations in costuming, choreography, and storytelling that are part of each performance. The dances, full of energy and beauty, also have their respective stories, which have been passed down for many generations and are preserved and performed by groups like Las Estrellas de Tejas.

Alvarez pointed out that metal is clearly not a “region,” so the group has the opportunity to develop choreography and costuming specifically for their collaborative performances with Metalachi. “We can merge the old traditions we are trying to keep alive with the new era of rock and mariachi, mixing both and creating something really nice and new,” Alvarez stated. 

He added, “Our dancers often say ‘Viva la Jalisco’ or ‘Viva la Mexico’ to honor and acknowledge where the music comes from, but when we perform with Metalachi, they say ‘Viva el rock!’”

The group, founded in 2018, consists of approximately twenty dancers, mostly young adults, although it has recently expanded, creating a children’s program. In addition to the performances with Metalachi, Las Estrellas de Tejas has performances scheduled at the State Fair as part of Mundo Latino on Oct. 2, Oct. 7, and Oct. 9, as well as performances at the Dallas Arboretum and at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington for the annual Fright Fest.

Together, Metalachi and Las Estrellas de Tejas will deliver unstoppable showmanship and a performance that should turn crowds of curious attendees into lifelong concert goers. ¡Viva el Rock!

Metalachi and Las Estrellas de Tejas will be performing on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at 7:45 p.m. at the State Fair of Texas, 3809 Grand Ave. Free with Fair admission.

Metalachi will also perform on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 8 p.m. at Dan’s Silverleaf, 103 Industrial St. Denton. Tickets are available starting at $15 on Prekindle.