Five Records That Changed My Life, Part 7: Diva Satanica
Terrific Spanish singer Diva Satanica is the vocalist for Brazilian thrash metal band Nervosa and Spanish melodic death metal band Bloodhunter. Her real name is Rocío Vázquez and she took her stage name from an Arch Enemy song. She may have a fierce stage name and a voice to match it, but behind it all she is a sweet Spanish woman. She started her musical career with Bloodhunter in 2010. In 2020, she was recruited to become Nervosa’s new lead vocalist and she can be heard on Nervosa’s latest studio album “Perpetual Chaos” which was released in January 2021. In 2021, she recorded a terrific version of Venom classic “Countess Bathory” together with Venom’s co-founder Mantas. Roppongi Rocks boss Stefan Nilsson checked in with Diva to hear what records changed her life.
Guns N’ Roses “Appetite for Destruction” (1987)
“This was probably the first rock album that I listened to in its entirety. I learnt all the lyrics and I started to appreciate how melodic singers could use extreme vocal registers as vocal fry to add that wild vibe. Axl Rose is one of my favourite vocalists.”
Behemoth “The Satanist” (2014)
“One of my favourite extreme metal albums of all times. In my opinion Behemoth did a splendid job turning the whole album to a complete piece of art in many ways: from the orchestrations to the lyrics and the cover artwork, it’s the perfect album.”
The Rolling Stones “Sticky Fingers” (1971)
“This is a very diverse album where you can find blues, country, R&B… Also, the lyrics are quite different from the other albums of the band. Here you can find very interesting and controversial topics such as drug addiction, interracial sex or slavery. Love the cover by the amazing Andy Warhol that connects perfectly both worlds.”
Cradle of Filth “Nymphetamine” (2004)
“Dani Filth is one of the most amazing lyricists of all times and also a very versatile vocalist. With this album you can discover a whole universe dedicated to women. This album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Metal Performance category and it has sold more than one million copies worldwide.”
Janis Joplin “Pearl” (1971)
“Janis means blues at its best. There’s no other vocalist in the world that could make you understand the loneliness of grief like her. This album was released after her passing and it’s still one of the most emotional rock albums of all eras.”
