“Souls of Steel” started in 2021, founded by Benjamin Lopez and Daniel Jiménez in our country El Salvador from Central America. Dani and Ben started in music from a very young age… Metal music has always been our biggest influence, however, we listen to a diversity of musical genres. Our influences have been wide spectrum of bands like: Megadeth, Symphony X, Whitesnake, Deep Purple, Motley Crue, AC DC, Skid Row, Metallica, Black Sabbath, Ronnie James Dio, Black Label Society, etc.
We were looking for our sound in the nuances of hard rock and heavy metal and so our line up is: Benjamín López (bass and second voices), Daniel Jiménez (Lead Guitar), Oscar Trujillo (Drums) and Sebastián Lorenzana (Lead Voice). The band arises from the need to make our own music and express ourselves through it, we talk about different topics in our lyrics: political, religious, women's, rock n roll, personal growth etc.. our debut album was launched on december 22th 2023, titled “Songs of Steel” and re-released via Wormholedeath records on August 16th 2024. The album was recorded in El Salvador, at Stageline Studio and then it was sent to the United Kingdom for the mixing and mastering process, at Cube Recording Studio.
-Interview- (8/20/24)
1. How did you get started with music and how did you develop your sound? How did the name "Souls of Steel" come about and is there any meaning to it?
We started from a very young age, playing in garage bands, semi-professional bands and cover bands... as most musicians start out. We developed our sound through a mix of our individual influences and experimenting various ideas and riffs, and since we grew up with a lot of heavy metal, hard rock, etc… we tried to combine all that spectrum together, to bring that heavy sound from the golden age of rock with a modern sound.
The name Souls of Steel comes from what we see as a representation of the metal community, and beyond that, of all people who have the soul of warriors, who fight against adversity and rise to a mindset of steel, ready to face the world and its challenges. We are resilient souls; metal is our bond. And if you´re a rocker with strong convictions in your soul... Then YOU are a part of Souls of Steel.
2. What do you want people to take away from your music?
We hope people can find a song in our record that could help them in a moment of their lives, we want to give them good feelings, power to forget all those bad things in life and let our music speak to them.
3. How would you describe your sound to the average listener?
Our sound is a powerful blend of heavy riffs, and sometimes melodic elements, also we put hard work into the lyrics. We aim to create music that resonates emotionally while also delivering the energy and aggression that metal fans love. It's a mix of classic metal influences with a modern twist. Even if you're not a die-hard metal fan, you'll find something relatable in our melodies.
4. Who are three bands you’d like to tour with?
Megadeth, Judas Priest and Symphony X.
5. What's your thoughts on AI generated music?
For us, music is deeply personal and emotional, something that comes from the human experience. There's something special about the connection between musicians and their audience that we believe can only be created through genuine human expression. While AI can be a useful tool in some aspects, we prefer to keep the creative process as organic and authentic as possible.
6. What’s your take on the current state of Heavy Metal?
There’s a lot of diversity within the genre, with new bands being born pushing boundaries, and exploring new sounds while still honoring the roots of metal. The community is as passionate as ever, and there’s a strong sense of unity among fans and artists. However, it's also challenging because the music industry is constantly evolving, we have read several articles that costs are rising for touring, and bands are struggling with many aspects but like other genres, we have to adapt. Nevertheless metal is still strong around, festivals being held and lot of people still coming.
7. What’s the current music scene like there in El Salvador?
Despite being a small country, there’s a strong sense of camaraderie among musicians and fans. Local bands are incredibly dedicated, often working hard to create and promote their music independently. There are challenges, like limited resources and venues, since it's not mainstream here but we manage to survive from time to time. Although it’s a scene that's growing and evolving, with a lot of potential for the future. Every year we see bands forming, and thats a good sign, metal is still present.
8. What’s your take on the royalties that streaming services pay out to artists?
Well… in one hand, streaming services help you to be in the pocket of every listener, just one click away in their cellphones, you get big exposure and good opportunities.. but in the other hand, we all know, the royalties are super low and super hard for independent and emerging bands, its not sustainable, you must sell merch, do live shows, etc so we believe there could be room for improvement in how streaming royalties are distributed.
9. What’s next for Souls of Steel?
Well, we’re continuing with our album launch. A couple of weeks ago, we officially started with our distribution label for the re-release, and it’s giving us exposure. We hope to build a small tour with the help of new members on the team. We’re also already working on a couple of new songs, with a view to a second album, probably next year.
10. Any shoutouts?
We want to thank our friends, fans, and team for giving us the strength to keep working and doing what we love—metal. A special thanks to the label Wormholedeath for putting us on the global radar, an important step for our band, and for believing in our music. And we also want to thank God for everything He has placed in our path.
