Soziedad Alkoholika

Formed in Vitoria-Gasteiz in the Spanish Basque Country in 1988, Soziedad Alkoholika occupies the intersection of hardcore punk, thrash metal, crossover and at times a heavier, syncopated metal. The band, often abbreviated S.A., emerged in the early 1990s with a fast, tense and confrontational sound built on compact riffs, nervous drumming and abrasive vocals, while its lyrics in Spanish—and occasionally in Basque—address social violence, antimilitarism, authoritarianism and political tensions. Over the years Soziedad Alkoholika has moved between punk, hardcore and metal scenes in Spain and across several European circuits, retaining a direct writing style while hardening some aspects of its approach. Its discography includes Soziedad Alkoholika (1991), Negro en el poder (1993), Ratas (1995), No intente hacer esto en su casa (1997), Tiempos oscuros (2000), Política del miedo (2003), Mala sangre (2008) and Cadenas de odio (2011). The band’s trajectory was also marked by political and judicial controversies in Spain during the 2000s, a backdrop that accompanied its course without separating it from the alternative networks in which it was formed.