The Heart of the Toad

El Corazón del Sapo (also known as Los Sapos) was an Aragonese hardcore punk band, formed in 1991 and active until the year 2000, which It was characterized by its lyrics and its participation and political commitment to social movements.

Biography and context

Los Sapos began in 1991 in Zaragoza (Aragón), after the occupation of the old Utrillas railway station. In this context Fernando and Guillermo get together with ¨Caspas¨ (EDS, Drogas Guays, Trip Inside), and Ricardo “el Negro” (Trip Inside) joins them.

On September 6 of that same year, El Corazón del Sapo premiered in a concert in Ejea de los Caballeros together with the Galicians Os Verjalhudos (Black Chickpea), with whom they will share the stage in the first concerts in Mera (La Coruña), at the Kasal Popular in Valencia, and at the solidarity concert with the libertarian prisoner Pablo Serrano in Zaragoza.

This is how El Corazón del Sapo defines itself, intertwining hardcore punk, heavy metal, and rock and roll parts, along with protest messages.

Context

It is the year 1992, of the Barcelona Olympics and the Seville Expo 92 (the latter in commemoration of the V Centenary of the Discovery of America).

In Zaragoza, the Squatted House of Peace gives life to Zaragoza's alternative culture through the meeting of new groups and social movements, and in Ejea and Tudela, campaigns and marches are carried out for the dismantling of the Las real bardenas. In December Fernando is searched for and captured for not going to trial for insubordination, and on the 23rd of that same month the eviction of the Casa de la Paz takes place.

The entry into the year 1993 is lived from the New Year's Eve concert at the Minuesa Social Center (also evicted shortly after) in Madrid, and the day of that same year that Felipe González wins his last elections, Los Sapos played in Utrera (Seville) a concert for abstention that the city council and the civil guard boycott, "because politics cannot be done in elections..."

On January 1, 1994, the news broke of the Zapatista uprising in San Cristóbal de las Casas (Chiapas), producing a great impact and an immediate worldwide solidarity movement.

Albums and Activity

The first production of Los Sapos was an EP called "Que El Perro No Rompa Las Flores" that never saw light and that consisted of four own songs by way of presentation.

“Imagination against power” (1993)

El Corazón del Sapo, entered in September to record what will be the band's first album “La imaginación contra el poder”, released the following year by Mala raza and Soroll, betting on alternative and anti-commercial distribution, to the They also set foot on Majorcan land for the first time on the tour in support of Total Insubordination.

In May, Guillermo goes into a search and capture situation for not attending his trial for insubordination and together with Fernando and two other colleagues (Koke and Luís) from the Ejeano insubmission collective (KAE), they are arrested and transferred to prison Torrero de Zaragoza. Fernando and Guillermo are sentenced to 1 year and a day in prison, being put back in search and capture.

“Don't let the dog break the flowers” (1996)

In 1995, Los Sapos slowed down their concerts due to a back injury to Caspas, and El Negro ended up leaving the band. In 1996 Gabi entered on bass, and El corazón del Sapo began a good dynamic of concerts crossing borders and participating in the Tegermind festival in the Netherlands. Already in August they recorded in their own place (with a four-track tape), what will be the single “Que el perro no rompa las flores”, a totally self-produced album released as sapos records.

That year the PSOE was implicated in scandals related to its internal leadership (such as the GAL cases, embezzlement, the Roldan story) and the PP seized power thanks to the support of the nationalist bourgeoisie (the PNV and CiU), announcing the end of compulsory military service.

“Fire to Crows Heaven” (1998)

On July 1, 1997, Fernando is arrested and imprisoned to serve a sentence of 1 year and a day together with Guillermo (a week later), at the same time as the Government's announcement to soften the punishments for the insubmissives and while in the pavilion of 3.er degree of Zaragoza dies the partner of both Kike Mur (archiving all the cases against the prison policy of that time).

This mixture of rage and impotence will be reflected in the recording of what will be the second album by El Corazón del Sapo “Fuego al Cielo de los Cuervos” also released with Mala Raza, in April 1998, when Fernando and Guillermo are in 3.er degree. After spending time in jail and with a new album, the band multiplies its live shows throughout Spain.

“The Drill of Reality/O pasaclau d'a reyalidá” (1999)

In March 1999 Caspas decided to leave the group and El Chuchi (Nevergood) took his place. That will be the year in which El Corazón del Sapo gives more concerts, and in December, from the Zaragoza concert for the Antifascist Platform of Zaragoza, the live show "El drill de la Realidad/O pasaclau d'a reyalidá" will be released, edited as Toads records.

“The Magnetic House” (2000)

In the year 2000 they recorded in Barcelona “La Casa Magnética” co-edited by Mala Raza and Sapos Records. In September they begin a European tour (Belgium, Germany, Croatia, Italy) being active witnesses in the anti-globalization mobilizations in Prague. After this tour and after participating in the last concert of the Intsumiso Eguna (Usurbil), they decided in their last performance in Ormaiztegi to agree on a stop at the El Corazón del Sapo march.

For emotional reasons, the original members will meet at the festival for the X anniversary of Mala Raza in Ruesta, (Huesca), in September 2002.

N#34;Under the beach are the cobblestones#34; (2006)

Six years after the dissolution of the band, this album is released, consisting of 17 songs in the form of rarities, unpublished and others from all their previous eras, from the sessions of “Fuego al cielo de los cuervos”, “ The magnetic house”, or “Don't let the dog break the flowers”.

N#34;2017 ways to kill with suspenders#34; (2017)

In January 2017, El Corazón del Sapo reissued on vinyl "La casa magnética" allocating the benefits to the Zaragoza Refugee Aid Group. On April 23 they give a tribute concert to Kike Mur in Zaragoza. Between May and July, they do a mini-tour "2017 ways to kill with suspenders" which consists of 4 concerts: one at the Gaztetxe in Zarauz, two at CC Delicias in Zaragoza and the last one at Hatortxu Rock in Lakuntza. The benefits of this tour also go to the Zaragoza Refugee Aid Group.

Discography