The most international metal band from Alicante had to inaugurate this new section of the INFORMACIÓN newspaper. Reaching success in music is a milestone, and achieving it beyond one’s own borders amplifies that achievement. For Mind Driller, this matters greatly for the provincial product, proving there are opportunities beyond mainstream metal.
There are fans who cling to music that hides on the margins, an underground scene that fills festivals like Leyendas del Rock or travels to massive heavy metal events in distant parts of France and Germany, the true capitals of the genre with giants such as Hellfest or Wacken. Mind Driller embodies that sector that chooses to unleash imagination through heavy riffs and energetic sonic cadences, where what is said lives in harmony with how it is spoken. The band has carved out a place in the genre by doing something not usually heard within the style in Spain.
The concept of industrial metal is understood within heavy metal as a subgenre focused on very low-tuned guitar riffs combined with distorted synthesizers and sequencers. Groups like Korn, Rob Zombie, Ministry and Rammstein helped bring a style to the map that had not fully resonated with Spanish bands until Mind Driller emerged. It took a gathering of musicians from different parts of the province, and even the inclusion of a Madrid-based contributor, to form a band that essentially roots itself in the core of industrial metal while embracing modernity in its composition.
From its inception, the band aimed to stand out by featuring three different vocalists, turning Mind Driller into a project marked by vocal versatility. The voices of Estefanía Aledo, V and N.Q—three vocalists who anchor the group—constitute a major contribution to its career, with a multilingual blend that encompasses English, Spanish and German.
“Back then we did something that didn’t seem destined to go far—mixing industrial metal, melodic metal and nu metal. Each voice represents one subgenre, and we were lucky that their three voices connected so well,” explains the band’s founder, guitarist Javix. Since that moment, international potential became evident and they adopted several languages: “Since we were fortunate to have a Spanish singer who could sing in German, we wanted to seize the language’s perfect fit for industrial metal—very strong sonority that suits the project.”
These choices have allowed them to travel to several cities inside and outside of Spain, performing at festivals like Rock Am Stück in Frankfurt and at the Full Metal Holiday cruise, while opening for the famous Oomph! on multiple tour dates. Today they are immersed in the rollout of their latest album The Void, released by Art Gates Records, featuring tracks such as Insanity, End of the World and The Fallout. Their first show took place at the Marearock venue in Alicante, ending with the venue’s sign displaying a sold-out crowd.
Their live shows, charged with adrenaline and surprises, are their strongest feature. For the guitarist, “we are a band born for live performance. This new album has been warmly received since its release. It is the first time we have produced a record that was worked on with a producer during preproduction, and it shows.”
With this album they push their sound further, weaving electronic flourishes and more melodic, less abrasive textures, proving they fear nothing and ride a sound they themselves have crafted. “More than aiming to sound different, we want to sound like ourselves. If someone hears a song and recognizes Mind Driller from the first chord, we’ve achieved what we set out to do,” he adds, offering a candid reflection on the group’s identity.
The album tour continues with a lengthy schedule that will bring them to Sevilla, Albacete, Zaragoza, Santander, Oviedo, Madrid, Vizcaya, and other dates yet to be announced. They will also stop at one of the country’s most prestigious metal festivals, Z! Live in Zamora. Although 2024 will be entirely national, plans exist to take The Void beyond Spain starting in 2025, bringing their energetic show to an international audience.