Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico’s metal scene is as vibrant as ever, with up and coming acts like Zafakon, Calamity and Fullminator leading the way towards a caribbean trash metal renaissance.

On their debut EP, Fullminator positions itself as the most theatrical of the bunch, with an intergalactic backstory for its band members, who also happen to wear roach masks when they play live. Oh, and they also have a giant robot named Crackbot join them onstage.

The music is fast, loud, and sharp enough to cut easily through the thick veil of weed smoke.

♪♫ Listen: “Assisted Suicide” + album stream

Fullminator on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

This eleven-man strong orchestra is the Puerto Rican punk underground’s answer to salsa —its DIY ethos gaining them as many followers as detractors in the local tropical music scene.

Reaching back to the sounds of the old-school, Macabeo’s “salsa gorda” strives to recapture an era long before the genre traded all of its edge for commercial sheen.

On its self-produced fourth album, the band’s streetwise lyrics retain the verve and wit of past releases, while managing to sound better than ever.

♪♫ Listen: “Armonía” + album stream

Orquesta El Macabeo on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.

La Futura Prole’s debut EP heralded the arrival of a singular voice within Puerto Rico’s underground rock scene.

The band fuses alternative rock and punk stylings with flourishes of jazz and ragtime, and other seemingly disparate genres, on their way to crafting a signature sound.

Record highlights such as “Diles Que No Me Matan” and “Ángel Benjamín” prove the band is up to something worthy of your time and ears.

♪♫ Listen: “Diles Que No Me Maten” + album stream

La Futura Prole on Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram.

Long awaited debut record by artist, performer, and director Gisela Rosario also known as Macha Colón.

Joined by her band Los Okapi, Macha decided to cut the record live with a studio audience made up of friends and longtime fans, all-the-while encouraging their participation throughout the recording.

This gives the record a welcomed energy reminiscent of the band’s live show, which has taken Los Okapi all the way from San Juan to Sweden. And now you can easily enjoy it wherever you might find yourself in the world.

♪♫ Listen: “Jayá” + album stream

Macha Colón y Los Okapi on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.

Fofé Abreu is a longtime veteran of the Puerto Rican rock scene, having fronted the influential rock groups Manjar de los Dioses and Circo.

Fofé y Los Fetiches might be newer to the scene, but the band is quickly becoming one of the most thought-after pop groups.

On the group’s second full-length release, “La Juventud”, Los Fetiches explore a darker palette of sounds than on their debut, crafting luxurious glam disco-funk gems perfect for the wee hours of the night.

♪♫ Listen: “Aguántame” + album stream

Fofé y Los Fetiches on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

The story of Baba Gris began in Guatemala, birthplace to the group’s singer and guitarist Juan Carlos Mata.

Mata moved to Puerto Rico some seven years ago to study music at the prestigious Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico, where he met fellow band members Manuel Rodríguez, Carlos Dimas Martínez, and Jayson Yordan.

Together they have crafted a wild, progressive album “Bhava” that recalls the best 70s epic rock records from Central America.

♪♫ Listen: “Guatemala” + album stream

Baba Gris on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.

The International Dub Ambassadors have placed Puerto Rico on the map as a dub-friendly land, collaborating with a handful of the genre’s living legends and opening for the biggest reggae acts touring the island.

On their second EP they collaborate with singer Carmelo Romero from Puerto Rico’s beloved veterans Gomba Jahbari. The vinyl edition of the release is the definite version and well worth hunting down as it contains heavy dub remixes of all six tracks.

♪♫ Listen: “Roots Ambassador” + album stream

International Dub Ambassadors on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.

From the moment you press PLAY “Las Abejas” justify all the buzz surrounding their third, self-titled record. “She Will” is the best indie rock song that Pitchfork forgot to cover last year.

And even though they fire their best shot first, the rest of the record packs plenty of punch with songs like “Serás Tú”, “Bones” and, “Hounds” — a noisy and nasty slab of dance punk that will make you howl in the middle of the disco.

♪♫ Listen: “She Will” + album stream

Las Abejas on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.

Singer-songwriter Dax Díaz’s untimely death three years ago took the Puerto Rican independent music scene, which largely considered him one of its greatest talents, completely by surprise.

With the Díaz family blessing, longtime friends and collaborators banded together to complete the studio sessions that would have resulted in Dax’s debut album.

Titled “So Long”, this collection serves as both a fitting reminder of Dax’s incomparable talent and a loving farewell.

♪♫ Listen: “En Paz”

Dax Díaz on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.

Los Wálters are Puerto Rico’s favorite synth-pop duo, quickly moving from a well-received debut EP to a couple of higher profile full-length releases and a successful run of live shows both in the island and abroad.

With their latest album, “Isla Disco”, the band have crafted their first true masterpiece, a chilly soundtrack for cavorting at night on the beach.

♪♫ Listen: “Balada Lunar” + album stream

Los Wálters on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.