Five musicians with track records in some of Chile’s best-known bands have just released «Fight or Die,» the debut single from Zenith Sins, a group formed with the ambition of building a full conceptual work. Behind the project are names Chilean audiences recognize instantly, along with a story worth revisiting.

A quintet built on craft

The lineup brings together Diego Ponce on vocals, known for his time in Novas and for his solo work; Javier Flores on guitar, a musician in Myriam Hernández’s band; Nicolás Letelier on keyboards, a member of Chancho en Piedra and Hermanos Ilabaca; Cristián Vargas on bass, who has played alongside Matahari and in Angelo Pierattini’s group; and Sebastián Farías on drums, part of the Felipe Leyton Band.

This is not an emerging band in the classic sense. It is rather a convergence of careers that had been moving through very different circuits, from funk to pop and from heavy rock to singer-songwriter material, and that now meet on shared ground: progressive rock and metal.

«The Mirror»: the human mind as a map

The Zenith Sins debut sits within «The Mirror,» a conceptual work conceived as a journey through the human mind. The material addresses guilt, mental health and internal conflict through a character trying to regain control of his life and break free from the forces weighing on him.

«Fight or Die» serves as the gateway into that universe. The music and lyrics were written by Nicolás Letelier, while the arrangements were developed collectively by all five members. The song arrived alongside a music video, with visual direction handled by Fuera de Foco.

A production with international standards

Recording took place at Eneku Rock Studio. Engineering, editing and mixing were handled by Nicolás Quinteros, whose name appears on productions by Delta and Kuervos del Sur. The most striking detail comes at the final stage: mastering was done by Steve Kitch, keyboardist of The Pineapple Thief, one of the most influential groups in contemporary progressive rock.

That decision says a good deal about the group’s intentions. According to the band itself, the project seeks a space «where technique, composition and progressive sensibility find new room to breathe.» In a Chilean scene where progressive rock has always had a loyal but limited community, the arrival of a project with this level of production and this depth of experience creates reasonable expectations for what comes next when «The Mirror» is released in full.

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Source: Rockaxis.