Ekhymosis

Ekhymosis
Ekhymosis in 2015
Background information
Origin	Medellín, Colombia
Genres	Thrash metal (early and recently) Rock en Español Latin pop (nineties)
Years active	1987–1999; 2012-present
Labels	Independiente
Website	http://ekhymosisrock.com/
Members	Andrés García Felipe Manrique Oscar Osorio Mauricio Estrada Luis Duqueiro
Past members	Juan Esteban Aristizabal Fernando "Toby" Tobón José David Lopera

Ekhymosis is a Colombian rock band formed by Juan Esteban "Juanes" Aristizábal Vásquez, along with friends Andrés García, Fernando "Toby" Tobón and José David Lopera from Medellín. The band was created in 1988 with heavy influences from Metallica and other important metal acts of the 80s, as well as some popular Latino music.

Even since their beginning as a metal band, Ekhymosis (Greek: ἐκχύμωσις "bruise") showed the same pro-Latino lyrics as Kraken. After some live performances to become known in their city (and more regions of Colombia), the band recorded a demo of two songs, which described the violence in Medellín and the injustice of innocent deaths and other problems in Colombia. The demo sold out (thanks to friends and family of the band), and they decided to record a second. This time Ekhymosis had luck: In the studio was a Codiscos representative; she heard and liked the demo and the band signed with that label.

1993 saw the release of Niño Gigante, a heavy metal album that included one of the band's most well known songs, "Solo". Controversy and the term "sell-out" surrounded the band with their next release: 1994's Ciudad Pacífico, produced by Federico López, a more hard rock-oriented record with more Latin sounds. Ekhymosis was looking for their unique sound; they didn't want to be the "Spanish Metallica". Rather, they wanted to create Colombian rock.

In the following year, 1995, the band with its two new members, released Amor Bilingüe, topping the Colombian charts with the single "De Madrugada". The video of the song had incredible replay value on MTV Latino. The same year, Ekhymosis recorded a rock version of the National Anthem of Colombia, which caused controversy among some, but was well received among Colombian youth. Ekhymosis was the chosen band to open for Bon Jovi in November of that year, but due to the murder of the politician Alvaro Gómez the band decided not to play in order to allow the concert to finish earlier.