INTERVIEW WITH DRUMMER GUSTAVO ROWEK

 

THE PASSION OF A HEAVY METAL PIONEER

Interview and Article by Adriana Rubio

From the foundations of V8, through his success in Rata Blanca, to countless projects such as Nativo, Rowek, IAN, and Entre el Cielo y el Infierno, Gustavo Rowek is the inexhaustible heartbeat of Argentine metal.

'And the truth is that I feel like a fundamental part of the story. I got to be V8's drummer, I recorded V8's albums, and I am one of the four who practically invented the history of metal. Also, being a founding member of Rata Blanca, a band that would mark a before and after in metal from the point of view of a popular band. I was part of a generation that laid the foundations for an entire movement.'

For Gustavo Rowek, music is his vital force, his passion, and his reason for being alive. As he himself says, this is the life he chose, and his desire is to squeeze every drop out of it, leaving an indelible mark both on his own path and on the history of Argentine metal.

'This is my passion, my driving force in life; it is what moves me, what I like, and I never stop. I have a slogan that says when you work doing what you love, you are not working. (laughs) This is the only life I know. And to see if there is another one, you must die, and I am not interested in that. I like leaving the mark of my own path. And when you leave a mark on your own path, you do it in general, and that is what motivates me.'

His foundational role is undeniable: he was part of V8 and was later fundamental in the birth of Rata Blanca, a band that marked a before and after in the genre on a popular level. Despite the challenges and professional demands of his time in Rata Blanca, Gustavo acknowledges the growth he experienced there, but emphasizes that in his current projects, such as Nativo and Rowek, he has recovered total freedom to be the composer of his music and express his vision without constraints.

'Rata changed my life; undoubtedly, as a musician, it was the biggest thing that could have happened to me, especially because it gave me access to a market that was not reserved for a heavy metal band, always speaking from that place,' he clarifies. 'The best stages, the best equipment, staff, planes, the best hotels, a magical life at 26 years old. Rata's peak caught me at 26. At 18, I was already playing in V8.'

That inexhaustible need to keep him creating is the true engine that drives his desire to walk through life offering music and rhythm. For Rowek, each of his projects is an extension of his philosophy, a way to keep that inner flame alive and continue building a musical path where he has absolute creative control.

'Rata transforms me into another world, but it did not define my own style with my instrument or as a composer. Rata had a lot of beautiful things, but unlike V8, a power trio where I was an absolute composer alongside Osvaldo, Beto, and Ricardo. In Rata,  Walter was the author of 95% of the compositions, and in his mind as an author, he imagined a completely straight drum part, so I went from a power trio to a sextet where what stood out were the guitar and the voice, no longer the band. So, in quotation marks, I had to do a rather primary job, which undoubtedly made me grow professionally: absolute demand, six-hour rehearsals every day, playing with a metronome, incorporating playing with a chamber orchestra. It professionalized me in many ways. However, in the compositional aspect, I contributed much more in V8 and in the bands and projects I put together afterward, such as Nativo, Rowek, IAN, and Entre el Cielo y el Infierno (EECYEI), where I play freely and I am the author of the music.'

For Gustavo, music is his refuge and his only direction, and it is admirable to see how that passion leaves him no room for the boredom or monotony of those who can watch television for hours.

Beyond the great stages and the history built over decades, Gustavo Rowek finds in his fellow traveler, Sergio Berdichevsky, much more than a musical colleague. Their relationship, forged when they were barely sixteen years old, is built on deep empathy and unbreakable complicity. As Gustavo himself defines it, it is a deep bond that translates into a harmonious working environment. This connection is the engine that allows them to continue composing with complete freedom and joy after so many years of making music.

'We have a very empathetic concept of life. Sergio and I have been friends since we were 16; I am 63. My children call him uncle, and to my wife he is like a little brother. We have a very deep bond that cannot be explained. We get along well; neither of us would ever wish harm on the other. He is my friend.'

At present, Gustavo is immersed in the project Entre el Cielo y el Infierno, based on Rata Blanca's classic album Entre el Cielo y el Infierno.

'It is one of Rata's albums where the singer was Mario Ian. Personally, the singer I like the most is Mario, a guy who sings better and better; it is unbelievable—(laughs). We agreed that Rata does not play the album Entre el Cielo y el Infierno with Barilari, so for its 25th anniversary we did a show, and the response from the people back in 2019 was incredible. Then came the pandemic, and later we resumed. People really liked the proposal; it is an astonishing album. It is an album where we had begun composing after all that compositional pause we talked about before, so half of that album is ours: Mario's, Sergio's, dear Guillermo's (God keep him)—he gets emotional—and mine. We pushed ahead and started playing it, but we also wanted to give artistic continuity with new songs, and that is how Enviados and El árbol del bien y el mal came about.'

Continuing with this wave of activity, all eyes are on the August 22 date at Uniclub, where they are expected to premiere Resiliencia, a new track that joins EECYEI's artistic repertoire.

And on the international front, they will continue with an imminent tour in Mexico that will include six dates, thus consolidating the inexhaustible heartbeat of this Argentine heavy metal legend.

THANK YOU, GUSTAVO ROWEK!