Rodrigo Alfaro (Mega Post & Full Discography)

Since I started listening to skatepunk, Satanic Surfers was one of the key bands in my musical growth inside the genre. And since I knew that Rodrigo played the drums and sang at the same time, he inmediatly became one of my most admired musicians to this day.
Something that always caught my attention, was that I practically never, saw Alfaro wearing a punk band t-shirt. I always saw some kind of crust-metal-ish logos on his t-shirts.
Little by little, I researched more and more, and I realized that there was a whole world behind "the Satanic Surfers' singer".
Outside of being a tenor singer; Rodrigo is an incredibly versatile and multifacetic musician, since he has/has had bands of diverse musical styles (from punk rock to death metal), and playing all instruments or assuming different roles.
Alfaro was also the owner of Sounds Of Betrayal and Putrid Filth Conspiracy (both Swedish hardcore/punk/grindcore labels). He's currently running Blood Harvest Records (Swedish death/thrash/black metal label) and he's part of Mondo Macabre Records (label run by current Satanic Surfers members).
Rodrigo has always been a low profile dude in social networks (he admits to being antisocial) and if that were not enough, he has projects in which he uses pseudonyms such as "Ertheb Somus-Ra", "h6r6a6m" or "R", to name a few. Which makes it very difficult to keep track of him. For all this, I can say that this research has been very hard and it has taken me weeks to gather the information. However, I've learned and I've enjoyed the process a lot.
Well, then, let's take a look at most of his projects and participations, alphabetically. Or at least a 95% of them, cause I know that he's currently working on new music and still-unnamed projects.

💀 Atlas Losing Grip
Facebook: www.facebook.com/atlaslosinggrip

Probably, Alfraro's most well-known music project after the Surfers. So, is not necessary giving you much info about them.
Atlas Losing Grip was founded in 2005 by Stefan Bratt (vocals/bass) and Gustav Brunn (guitar). I think Stefan and Rodrigo became close friends in Enemy Alliance era, during 2007-2008. Shortly after, in 2009, Rodrigo assumes the role of vocalist till 2014 (exactly when they finished recording "Currents").
Stefan Bratt, is currently playing with No Fun At All; and the other guitarist, Max Huddén, is currently playing with Satanic Surfers.

Atlas Losing Grip - Watching The Horizon (2009) - V0 (CD-Rip)
Atlas Losing Grip - State Of Unrest (2011) - V0 (CD-Rip)
Atlas Losing Grip - Atlas Losing Grip 7" (2011) - V0 (Vinyl-Rip)
Atlas Losing Grip - Currents (2015) - V0 (CD-Rip)

💀 Enemy Alliance
Facebook: www.facebook.com/enemyallianceofficial

This project started after Satanic Surfers break up, back in 2007; as a fusion between members of the Surfers (Fredrik & Rodrigo) and Venerea (Dana & Andreas) with the exception of Stefan who was already playing on Atlas Losing Grip.
On the split album Rodrigo played drums only, the singer was Venerea's Andreas Flygare.
After that, most of members left the band, so, only Rodrigo (vocals/drums) and Stefan (all strings) kept working together and recorded a 13-song full-length album called "Damnation Dawning" in 2008.
Shortly after, the band entered on indefinite hiatus and the album stayed unreleased to this day. In 2016 the band announced that they were back, but there were only few posts and no news about the album. They only let known that Champ (ex-Astream) and Max (ex-Atlas Losing Grip) joined the band.

Enemy Alliance & The Indecision Alarm - The New Wind And The Second Wave (2007) - V0 (CD-Rip)
Enemy Alliance - Unreleased Songs (2008) - 128

💀 Everyday Madness
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EVERYDAY-MADNESS-89049454396

Everyday Madness played fast-paced old-school hardcore punk with a great mix of female and male vocals. The line up without including both singers, would be: Alfaro on drums, Fredrik & Magnus (from Satanic Surfers) on guitars and Magnus' brother, Mathias, (who'd play bass with the Surfers in 2000-2002 and with Intensity in 2004) on four strings.
As far as I know, the band only put out this album in 1997 via Bad Taste Records. Solid record.

Everyday Madness - Preaching To The Converted (1997) - 320

💀 Intensity

Intensity was a hardcore punk band which started as a one-man project in 1995.
Several of the songs which later appeared on the band's debut album, were originally recorded at first as demo-tracks by Alfaro alone, playing all the instruments.
After a bit of convincing from Björn of Bad Taste Records, Rodrigo started Intensity together with some friends. So, he remained as the singer/frontman while the band lived.

Intensity - Bought And Sold (1996) - 320
Intensity - Battered Soul 7" (1997) - 192
Intensity - Wash Off The Lies 10" (1998) - 320
Intensity - Virtue Of Progress 7" (1999) - 256
Intensity - Live At Squat Rozbrat (2000) - 320
Intensity - The Ruins Of Our Future (2001) - 320
Antichrist & Intensity - The Centre Of Universal Truths Is Dying (2003) - 192
Intensity - Limited Japan Tour Record (2003) - 320
Intensity - Unreleased Recording (2003) - V0 (Bandcamp)
Intensity - Ruttna Bort E.P. 7" (2004) - 320
Intensity & E-150 - Split E.P. (2004) - 192

💀 Kontrovers
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Kontrovers-Fan-page-133642883394746

Kontrovers was a political, aggressive crust-core act founded in 1996. Stefan Larsson, (who's Satanic Surfers current drummer) was the lead singer here; till he moved temporarily to Barcelona and was replaced by a girl named Carin, for a while. Fredrik Jakobsen (from Satanic Surfers) also played guitar on this band. Rodrigo was the drummer and he also signed/recorded Kontrovers on his label, Putrid Filth Conspiracy.

Detestation & Operation & Kontrovers - Punk Art Riot (1998) - 192
Kontrovers - Skendemokrati 7" (1999) - 192
Beyond Description & Kontrovers - Split (1999) - 160
Kontrovers - Kontrovers (2002) - 192
Kontrovers - När Spelreglerna Ändras (2003) - 320
Kontrovers & Mass Separation - Resist. Refuse. Destroy (2004) - 160

💀 Left In Ruins

Left In Ruins was a grindcore-powerviolence band formed in 1998. Mr. Alfaro only played drums for 2011 album, and he also recorded the whole thing. Johan (from Widespread Bloodshed) played all strings on that album.

Left In Ruins - Ensam Hatisk Psykstörd 10" (2011) - 320

💀 Maligner
Facebook: www.facebook.com/malignerband

Maligner is one of the most recent/active Alfaro's projects. This time from the death-thrash metal side. The band was started in late 2015 by Aztiak (who also has Latin American roots) and Rodrigo.
The Satanic Surfers' frontman plays drums here.
Debut's Maligner full-length album was released just last month via Blood Harvest Records!

Maligner - Promo (2016) - V0 (Bandcamp)
Maligner - Demon (2016) - 320
Maligner - Attraction To Annihilation (2018) - 320

💀 Necrovation
Facebook: www.facebook.com/necrovationdeathmetal

Necrovation was a death metal power-trio, where Rodrigo, played second guitar, only as a live musician during 2009.
He also signed Necrovation on his label Blood Harvest Records and collaborated in some arrangements for 2012 album.
You can see him on the right side of the stage, highlighting his most-metalhead-look ever!

💀 Quick Fix

Quick Fix was one of Rodrigo's most ephemeral musical projects. Playing raw hardcore punk combining elements of NYHC and Boston HC along with elements of early Swedish HC.
Rodrigo was the vocals on this EP. I don't know if he also played drums or any other instrument in there. Apparently, the 6-track EP was their only release. I really recommend you to check this out.

Quick Fix - 6 Track EP 7" (2008) - V0 (Bandcamp)

💀 Satanic Surfers
Facebook: www.facebook.com/satanic.surfers.official

Well, I could write a bigger post than this one, talking about the Surfers...
That's not necessary, cause you can easily find their complete bio on Wikipedia or similars. I'll only say that's the only pic I've ever seen of Rodrigo wearing a punk hoodie, and it's a NOFX one from 1992, I think!
I guess y'all already have the Satanic Surfers full discography, but in case you're missing something, here's a link.

💀 Sewn Shut

Let's go back to louder stuff from the hand of Sewn Shut. This one was a grindcore band with death metal influences, which originally started in 1999 as a one-man-project with Rodrigo playing all the instruments. He composed the band's debut record, at its entirely.
After that, his friend Esse (who'd later play bass for Widespread Bloodshed) joined the band as guitarist along some other dude. So, Alfaro assumed drums and vocal-duties.

Sewn Shut - Masquerading The Guilty In A Garb Of Innocence (1999) - 192 
Sewn Shut - By The Weakest Thread Of Lies (2000) - 192
Mind Collage & Sewn Shut - Split (2000) - 192
Man In Shackles & Sewn Shut - Split (2001) - 320
Sewn Shut & Embalming Theatre - Split (2003) - 128
Sewn Shut & Ulcerrhoea - Split (2003) - 192
Squash Bowels & Sewn Shut - Split (2003) - 192
Unholy Grave & Sewn Shut - Split (2005) - V2
Sewn Shut - Rediscovering The Dead (2005) - V0 (Bandcamp)
Nashgul & Sewn Shut - Split (2006) - V2

💀 Ursut
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pg/ursut.hardcorepunk

Ursut is a four-piece crusty hardcore punk band, formed in 2008 and still active.
Mattias Persson (ex-Kontrovers) plays the guitar and "The Hero Of Our Time" plays drums in there.

Ursut - Mot Vägen? (2009) - V2 (CD-Rip)
Ursut - Dårarnas Paradis (2011) - V2 (CD-Rip)
Ursut - Köp Dig Lycklig (2016) - V0 (CD-Rip)

💀 Venerea
Facebook: www.facebook.com/venereaofficial

Ok, this is one of my favorite line-ups ever. In my opinion, Rodrigo fitted so well in Venerea!
Alfaro joins Venerea right after Enemy Alliance enters on indefinite hiatus, back in 2008.
I really love his drumming on both Venerea releases.
Bonus data:
Ex-Venerea's Martin Svensson, played drums on Satanic Surfers 2002 album "Unconsciously Confined".

Venerea's guitarist, Dana Johansson was replacing Fredrik during Satanic Surfers 2015 Latin American Tour.

Venerea - Black Beach Recordings 7" (2008) - V0 (Bandcamp)
Venerea - Lean Back In Anger (2010) - V0 (Bandcamp)

💀 Warfare

Here we have another ephemeral duo-project from Mr. Alfaro. Warefare showed a kind of hardcore punk/d-beat, with Rodrigo on all instruments along and his friend Henke, on gutural vocals.

This 8-song demo was probably recorded in 2000 and never got officially released.

Warfare - Unreleased Demo (2000) - V0 (Bandcamp)

💀 Widespread Bloodshed

Widespread Bloodshed is a hardcore thrash punk "studio-project" that Rodrigo started in 2003 with his long-time-friend Johan on bass (whom also played along him in Left In Ruins) and his old neighbor and friend, Esse on guitar (whom also played along him in Sewn Shut). Alfaro plays drums and does vocal-duties in this project.

All songs are written and recorded in the studio whenever they manage to find the time to meet up.

Widespread Bloodshed - 49 More Reasons To Hate Emo (2005) - V0 (Bandcamp)

👿 Bonus Songs

Atlas Losing Grip - Shut The World Out
This "Shut The World Out" version feat. Rodrigo Alfaro on vocals, is an exclusive bonus track which belongs to "Watching The Horizon" 10" vinyl released by Can't Slow Down Records in 2010. This song originally appears at band's debut album "Shut The World Out".

Enemy Alliance - Moth
That exclusive song was released on "Swedish Punk Rock Sampler Compilation", out on September 2011.
The song also belongs to the full-length album called "Damnation Dawning", which I mentioned lines above.

Rodrigo Alfaro - The Love Of My Life
Rodrigo performed this song on acoustic before an Atlas Losing Grip's show in Bilbao, Spain on September 24th, 2011. I don't know if he already has recorded it on studio version or if he's working on more acoustic/folk stuff. I think an Alfaro's acoustic solo-album would be great, anyway.

Satanic Surfers - Another Stale Cartoon
This 30-second song appears exclusively on 1999 Fat Wreck Chords compilation, "Short Music For Short People".

Satanic Surfers - Callousness (Demo Version)
That demo recording was streamed only through Satanic Surfers website on August 8th, 2005, as a sneak peek of their upcoming-album-in-that-era, "Taste The Poison".

Download all songs!

👿 Curiosities & Nerdery

- I know Rodrigo's birthday is on September 6th, but I don't know the exact year... 1971-73, maybe?
- Rodrigo emigrated with his parents from Montevideo, Uruguay to Malmö, Sweden when he was just a 4 year-old kid. He still has family living in Uruguay, though.
- In Uruguay, Rodrigo's father (Walter Alfaro) was a well-know pianist, composer and radio entertainer on "CX14 Radio El Espectador", where he worked between 1933-1969. As expected, he started Rodrigo with his passion for music.
- Mr. Walter Alfaro, wrote lyrics for Intensity's songs: "Canto A La Muerte" and "Rebelde Y Vagabundo", he also interpreted the spoken-vocals for this last one.
- Rodrigo speaks spanish on intermediate level (not so fluid); but, if you talk him in spanish, "él te responde en español".
- Rodrigo has two children, (boy and girl) apparently twins, from an ex-relationship.
- Rodrigo, apparently played drums in a death metal band from Denmark, called Sulphurous, between 2012-2016. According Discogs and MetalArchives.com, he was in the band, but according official Sulphurous' Bandcamp and Facebook, he was not in there...
Well, you know our buddy; always keeping his low profile on the scene.
- I have no doubts, that Rodrigo has been a huge influence for many contemporary musicians, to reach the goal of playing drums and singing at once, such as Étienne Dionne from Mute and Alessandro Gavazzi from Jet Market/Thousand Oaks. I really hope more people with that talent show up in future skatepunk generations!

Without more to add, I give this megapost closed. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
Special thanks to my friend Abraham, for helping me out to get rare recordings from some projects.

P.S. I know some few people in the world own the complete version of "Enemy Alliance - Damnation Dawning". If you're one of them, please contact me. - Mario.