Prog Rock Paves the Way

Progressive rock of the 1970's is said to be a movement made by a group of young musicians. Many successful bands have been paved the way for unknown bands such as The Mars Volta and John Zorn's Naked City, who are consistently criticized for there show of torture and violence. Who came before has certainly made a difference for these smaller bands in allowing them to experiment and express themselves in a different way.
Mexican musicians have had to face many obstacles in the process of getting their music heard and have had to come across many critics. However, most have overcome the barrier and made a name for themselves as the band El Tri has. They have made an impact in Mexican music due to their songs exploring illegals plight and being called the Rolling Stones of Mexico. Despite their influential lyrics and being on the cover of the Rolling Stones in Spanish, they remain unknown in the States and are not able to have a cover for the Rolling Stones in America due to the lack of appeal. This proves that no matter how much of an impact they make in their own country, the US requires a different scale of success. After being encouraged to write their songs in English and finding their most loyal fans unable to understand , they decided to do what was not acceptable and wrote in Spanish. El Tri did the unthinkable when they put the love of music before record sales and went against their harshest critics.




Another band worth talking about is Ozomatli, who are based in Los Angeles and are known for being politically vocal. There ability to set themselves apart, due to their sound, beliefs, and cultural awareness, has made them a huge band. The Chicano movimiento of the sixties has created the opportunity for Ozomatli to be different and get away with it. Along with being a Mexican band, they can bring real issues into light with their music.
Mexican Metal is not only creating buzz because of its roots, but because of the message these artists are sending with the fact that they have established themselves when society says to write songs in English and to keep your political views to yourself.