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RATA BLANCA was convened as a full band unit for an eponymous debut album in 1988. Joining Giardino would be lead vocalist Saul Blanch, second guitarist Sergio Berdichevsky, bassist Guillermo Sanchez and drummer Gustavo Rowek. The album, which included spin off singles El Sueño De La Gitana and Chico Callejero, proved a huge success. Despite this huge leap forward Blanch bowed out and RATA BLANCA entered its second stage with the induction of singer Adrian Barilari and keyboard player Hugo Bistolfi.

RATA BLANCAs second album Magos, Espadas & Rosas was promoted by support slots to IAN GILLAN. The album generated huge praise, surpassing the million sales mark globally. The bands third album Guerrero del Arco Iris, titled in honour of the Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior ship, was debuted live in front of over 30,000 fans at a single concert in Velez Sarsfield Stadium, still holding the record today as the biggest ever gig for a local band.

The group would undertake live work across all of South America and into Mexico and even Los Angeles, performing at the famous Whiskey A Go Go club. Back in Buenos Aires, RATA BLANCA cut a groundbreaking live album recorded over three nights at the Opera Theatre with a full chamber orchestra. Live dates further afield had the band trekking across Portugal and Spain, recording their fourth album El Libro Oculto there.

With the close of the world tour both Bistolfi and Barilari decided to leave. The erstwhile RATA BLANCA duo duly founded ALIANZA issuing three albums, Sueños Del Mundo in 1993, Alianza in 1994 and Huellas in 1999. RATA BLANCA meantime pulled in Mario Ian on vocals with Javier Retamozo ..boards and persevered.

A fifth album, the exceptionally heavy Entre El Cielo Y El Infierno (Between Heaven And Hell), was recorded in the midst of a 1994 world tour. RATA BLANCA performed at the Brazilian Monsters Of Rock festival in Sao Paolo sharing the stage with international heavyweights OZZY OSBOURNE, ALICE COOPER and MEGADETH before an audience of 100,000. In Argentina the live album recorded earlier in 1992 En Vivo En Buenos Aires was finally issued.

With popularity waning in their homeland, Mario Ian made his exit in 1996. RATA BLANCA appointed Gabriel Marian to the frontman position for the Rata Blanca VII album. The band was in a fractious state, it becoming public knowledge that other band members were keen to decamp but had been persuaded to stay on for the sessions. The album received little promotion and in April of 1998 Giardino signalled the end of the band.

Gustavo Rowek and Sergio Berdichevsky assembled a fresh Heavy Metal act NATIVO, going on to publish two albums Consumo in 1999 and Futuro in 2001. Giardino too founded a new endeavour billed as TEMPLE. He would tour Argentina during 1999 then put together a new band which found former RATA BLANCA singer Adrian Barilari as guest singer. Eventually Guillermo Sanchez came in on bass and re-titling the band RATA BLANCA gigs were held in Bolivia. Returning to Argentina Hugo Bistolfi returned to the fold too.

In 2001 a gathering of South American Metal talent paid homage with the tribute album La Leyenda Continúa. Included would be artists such as AZEROTH, BETO VASQUEZ INFINITY, HUMANIMAL and ROSACRUZ. Both Adrián Barilari and Walter Giardino made a special appearance uniting with members of premier league Finnish bands NIGHTWISH and STRATOVARIUS, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, bassist Sami Vänskä, keyboard player Jens Johansson and drummer Jukka Nevalainen on the track La Leyenda Del Hada Y El Mago.

The new RATA BLANCA, with Fernando Scacella on drums, toured South America and Mexico to enthusiastic response. A compilation Grandes Canciones was backed by further gigs including shows in Spain. A new studio album El Camino del Fuego was delivered in June of 2002. Singer Adrian Barilari, billed simply as BARILARI, released a debut solo album in mid 2003.

Marking the return of BLACK SABBATH to the live stage for the Summer 2004 'Ozzfest' shows the Argentine label Blackstar Records issued a tribute album 'Sabbath Crosses: Tribute To Black Sabbath', this collection being noted for a take on 'No Stranger To Love' from RATA BLANCA featuring a guesting ex-BLACK SABBATH vocalist GLENN HUGHES on vocals and BARILARI donating a Spanish language version of 'Heaven And Hell'. RATA BLANCA also shared stage in Buenos Aires with Glenn Hughes who was a guest of the band. They played some MKIII classics which were edited for a live DVD available at www.rataweb.com.ar

RATA BLANCAS' latest album "La llave de la puerta secreta" was Gold 2 days before it went on sale and it just reached Platinum in Argentina. The 2005 tour was extremely successful and they put in another high profile hometown gig in September, opening for WHITESNAKE and JUDAS PRIEST.

Credit/s: Garry Sharpe-Young
Copyright: © 2001-2005 Musicdetector Websites

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Rata Blanca playing on stage at an Argentinian show called "Mar de Fondo"

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Walter giardino guitar solo

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Rata Blanca and Glenn Hughes playing Stormbringer in Argentina