Cultura Tres

Cultura Tres
Origin	Maracay, Venezuela
Genres	Thrash metal, sludge metal, psychedelic rock, progressive rock
Years active	2006 (2006)–present

Members	Alejandro Londoño Montoya (Colombian) Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. (Brazilian) Juanma de Ferrari Montoya (Venezuelan) Henrique Pucci ( Brazilian)

Past members	Marcel Capell Darell Laclé David Abbink Alonso Milano Mendoza Benoit Martiny Jerry Vergara

Cultura Tres is a band that started more than a decade ago in the small town of Maracay, Venezuela. 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 Montoyas would lack the resources and team members to reach the next level. A number of challenges and even personal tragedy would eventually put years of silence to their musical output.

The early efforts of the brothers wouldn't go totally unnoticed by recognised musicians and publications though. Magazines such as Burrn (Japan) and Decibel (US) would praised the band's originality.

Noticing the prevalent interest in the rarity of these early DIY releases, the Montoyas regained the energy to ignite a new Cultura Tres, this time within a team with similar aspirations, and with a renewed 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 Jr. (bass player of Sepultura) surprised the brothers by offering to join in. 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.

During the following three years and despite the pandemic, Cultura Tres would go deep in the making of an album. Paulo and the Montoya’s sought out skilled musicians with a deep understanding of South American grooves. Drummers Alonso Milano Mendoza and Jerry Vergara were brought in to record the percussive backbone of what became Camino de Brujos ("Trail of Witches"), an album that explored new and old musical textures—a fusion of thrash-metal power, 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.

“Camino de Brujos” was released in 2023 through Outono / Universal Music Group in the Americas and in the rest of the world through AJM / Bloodblast. The record has been praised by the media for its darkness, heaviness and beauty. After a successful touring kickstart in late 2023, Cultura Tres has been performing at major festivals across South America and Europe, including the prestigious Bloodstock Open Air in the UK and Summer Breeze Open Air in Brazil, where they shared stages with some of the biggest names in metal.

The addition of Henrique Pucci, a renowned Brazilian drummer, marked the completion of Cultura Tres’ new lineup, solidifying their sound and giving them the momentum to continue pushing boundaries. Cultura Tres is currently preparing their follow-up album, scheduled for release in February 2025. The new material is expected to continue exploring the fusion of thrash-metal, sludge, and South American influences, building on the foundation laid by Camino de Brujos.