Bloke

Bloke is a name used by more than one artist. It is also the recording name of Israeli electronic musician Yaniv Navot, who makes electronic music with provocative, emotive and original elements. Navot is a co-founder of ±G6PD Records.

Argentine heavy metal band

Bloke is also a heavy metal band from Argentina. The band forms in 1982 and plays US-style 1980s power metal. Its line-up changes several times in the early years before it records its album in 1984 with singer Billy.

Recording history

The 1984 album becomes the band’s key release and is regarded as the strongest example of its 1980s material. The band is not very successful at the time, and its small label does little to help its reach. Plans for a second album do not come together, because Billy leaves before any further recording is completed, and the group splits up.

After the split

After leaving, Billy sings for a period in 6L6 and later goes to California, where he records a demo with The Cross. Guitarist Marcelo Simoni later plays with Madam, a hard rock band, and records Decide tu corazon, which appears only on LP, cassette and as a two-track promo single. Bass player Daniel Parodi later joins Madam for a time; that band’s singer comes from Apocalipsis, the earlier group of Tren Loco bassist Gustavo.

Reissue and tributes

The Bloke album later becomes difficult to find. Fans from the Metalica fanzine and Hurling Metal Records acquire the rights to the album and reissue it on CD. The CD includes two unreleased old tracks: an instrumental from 1982 and a song featuring singer Hugo Brandsburg. It also adds six tribute versions by Gargola, Montreal, Corsario, Aspeed, Renacer and Tren Loco. Marcelo Simoni appears on stage at a festival for the CD’s promotion, and a similar event later takes place in Santa Fe. A full reunion is considered impossible because Billy lives in the United States again and is no longer interested in the band.