Biography

Once a staple in the Shanghai heavy metal scene as well in sludge/doom circles in China (and the world), Alpaca delivers a sound that stands out from local acts… in fact, they may have been the first band of their genre in the city!Slow, groovy, sludgy, heavy, doomy, fuzzy, and bluesy are buzzwords that have described the band’s style, in addition to incorporating styles such as stoner/desert rock and hardcore, with progressive and dynamic passages.

After forming in 2015, Alpaca has toured all over China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, as well as Spain, Portugal, and the United States, playing anywhere from local bars, livehouses, squathouses, and large festivals. Its members are world citizens, hailing from Madrid, Padua, Taipei, and Montreal, and collectively called Shanghai their homes for several years.

The band’s appreciation and application of a DIY ethic is evident in their approach to writing, rehearsing, touring, merch, and recording, the latter proven with their very own Molten Steel Studios. As of 2021, Alpaca has released two EPs (Carcosa and All Will Fail, later released as a full-length LP entitled Black Stars), three split EPs (Slow and Painful Death, with Japanese disco-doom band Guevnna; Drown with Spanish post-metal band Kalte Sonne; and Pulled Apart by Horses with fellow Beijing sludge metal band S.H.A.S.), and a noted fondness of releasing limited pressings of cassettes from live shows or past releases. They have also opened for Eternal Elysium (JP) in Shanghai and Beijing, as well as played an instrumental role in making Taiwan a stop on EyeHateGod’s 2019 Asia tour.

Currently in the assembly stage of recording their second LP, Alpaca is devoted to spreading their unique genre of (slow heavy metal music playing…) around China, Asia, and wherever their sludgy path takes them next.