Ricardo Horacio Iorio (25 June 1962 – 24 October 2023) was a musician from Argentina. He began as a bassist, then a bassist who made chorus, then a bassist singer, and finally a singer. He took part in neighbourhood bands with some friends, and then he created V8, the first Heavy Metal band in Argentina. The most famous line-up was Iorio-Civile-Rowek-Zamarbide, which recorded the first two LPs. Civile left the band, and then Rowek. Walter Giardino (who would lead Rata Blanca years later) joined V8 for a couple of months, and left. The third line-up had Cenci, Roldán, Iorio and Zamarbide, recorded the third LP. Iorio's partners became involved with religious ideas and sought to promote them with the band, which was resisted by Iorio and led to the breakup. With bassist José Amurín, the last V8 lineup continued as Logos.
Iorio made a new band, Hermética, this time full thrash metal. The singer Claudio O'Connor and guitarrist Antonio Romano stayed all the time, and the first drummer was quickly replaced by Tony Scotto. They recorded the first LP, where Iorio made some chorus here and there, and then a short LP with covers. Scotto was replaced by Claudio Strunz, making the most famous line-up of Hermética. They recorded two studio Cds and two live albums; Iorio singed some full songs now. The band broke-up shortly before the release of the second live album, and Iorio and his partners accused each other for the breakup.
And then, he made his third and most successful band, Almafuerte. He became the singer of all songs, and recorded several studio and live CDs until the band's hiatus in 2016. He founded his own record label, called Dejesú Records, named after a catchphrase from him.
For better or for worse, his three bands defined the Argentinean Thrash Metal scene (and, in some cases, other Heavy Metal scenes as well), both in musical and lyrical style, as well as their orientation.
Iorio died on 24 October 2023, at the age of 61, from a massive heart attack.
You can find more information about him and his bands on Encyclopedia Metallum
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V8
- Luchando Por El Metal - 1983
- Un Paso Más en la Batalla - 1984
- El Fin de los Inicuos - 1986
Hermética
- Hermética - 1989
- Ácido Argentino - 1991
- Víctimas del Vaciamiento - 1994
Iorio & Flavio
- Peso Argento - 1997
Almafuerte
- Mundo Guanaco - 1995
- Del Entorno - 1996
- Almafuerte - 1998
- A fondo blanco - 1999
- Piedra libre - 2001
- Ultimando - 2003
- Toro y pampa - 2006
- Trillando La Fina - 2012
Solo discography
- Ayer Deseo, Hoy Realidad - 2008
- Tangos y milongas - 2014
- Atesorando en los cielos - 2015
Tropes related with him and/or his works:
- Cover Album:
- Hermética's Intérpretes.
- Ayer Deseo, Hoy Realidad and Tangos y Milongas as a solo artist.
- Cover Version: Several covers of tangos and folk songs with both Hermética and Almafuerte, plus "El As de Espadas (Ace of Spades)" with Los Natas.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Some V8 songs like "Lanzado al mundo hoy" mention Heavy Metal, and Hermética's Intérpretes features a cover song of "No Class" from Motörhead. He would eventually become a vocal critic of Argentinian artists singing in English, and talk about the music genre only as "Metal pesado".
- Easily Condemned: When Iorio breaks with someone, he means it. He never took part in any reunion of V8 or Hermética, not even for a single show.
- I Am the Band: And for whoever disagrees with Iorio in this, there is the door.
- It's All About Me: Ever since Almafuerte's Del Entorno, most songs are simply Iorio singing about himself.
- Lead Bassist: First type C in V8 and Hermética, then type B as well in Almafuerte.
- Lighter and Softer: The new millennium brought the less heavy albums for both Almafuerte and Iorio as a solo artist, concluding with 2006's Toro y Pampa and 2012's Trillando La Fina, which were closer to Hard Rock. Then his solo albums for The New '10s were done in a completely Hard Rock style.
- Revolving Door Band: Several drummers passed through Almafuerte, them being Claudio Cardacci (for Mundo Guanaco), Walter Martínez (from Del Entorno up to A Fondo Blanco) and Adrián "Bin" Valencia (from Piedra Libre onwards). Then there's Iorio going full voice and delegating bass dues to Alberto Ceriotti.
- Start My Own: That was the spirit when he began with Hermética and Almafuerte, make something different and better than his previous works. Hermética is not "V8 with other members and new name", but a completely different band with an unique style, and the same goes for Almafuerte. Even internationally, how many artists have developed a personal style 3 different times?
- Take That!: Several.
- In V8, the songs "Tiempos Metálicos"note and "Brigadas Metálicas"note are directed towards the conformist hippism of earlier eras.
- Hermetica has "Dejá De Robar"note , directed towards Walter Giardino, and "Buscando Razón"note , a song towards some artist which we don't know who is.
Mi rechazo hacia tus baladas de amornoteme llegó desde pendejonoteCuando V8 era mala palabranotese intentaba con vos lavarnos cerebrosnoteFuiste azota del jazz-rocknotereggae, pop, new wave, modernonoteHoy cantás tus amoríosnotecon fanfarrias de rockeronoteYo que nunca compartí tu pose Stonenotevoy a deschavarte el juegonoteSos veleta de la moda y no me asombranoteque mañana amanezcas metalero.note- After Hermetica's breakup, two bands formed: Almafuerte, led by Iorio, and Malon, led by the remaining members. On their first records, both bands would fire at each other. Almafuerte with "El amasijo de un gran sueño"note and Malón with "La fábula del avestruz y el jabalí"note . Two years later, Malón disbanded, and Almafuerte celebrated it with "Triunfo"note .
