El Camino is the name associated with several different acts. One is a Swedish doom-leaning rock’n’roll band that forms in 2002, and describes its music as heavy, genre-resistant rock shaped by cultural, musical, occult and historical influences. Another is a post-rock band from the Netherlands, founded in Haarlem and later based in Amsterdam, whose instrumental, guitar-led music uses electronics and has a cinematic character. A third is a rock band from Leeds, formed in 2007, built around hard-hitting drums, distorted guitars, loops, samples, and vocals that move between extremes.

Swedish band

The Swedish El Camino begins in the winter of 2002/03 as a vehicle for music and ideas. It is described as a doomish rock’n’roll group with a focus on composing heavy music without being limited by genre rules or other unwritten constraints. Its sound is presented as a mix of cultural, musical, occult and historical elements.

Netherlands band

The Dutch El Camino releases its first record, With Perfect Nonchalance, in 2001. It is presented as the first post-rock album to come out of the Netherlands. The group follows with Laika in 2002, a home-recorded album that moves further toward drones, soundscapes and atmospheric pieces.

In 2003, it issues the split 7-inch 02:59:43 / I See the Sea with Zoppo. The EP At Jenny Richee appears in 2005, and is described as drawing together elements from the earlier releases while balancing post-rock, post-pop, spheric and epic material. The band is compared with Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Mogwai and Sigur Rós.

El Camino later takes time off in 2007, gives a farewell performance in February that year at Patronaat in Haarlem with Zoppo, and then gets back together in 2009.

Leeds band

The Leeds El Camino forms in 2007. Its lineup consists of Christopher Carney on guitars and vocals, The Wizard on keyboards and synth, Dan Guest on bass, and Morgan Lewis on drums. The band plays rock with very loud drums, distorted guitars, loops and samples, alongside vocals that move from low to high registers.

The group also uses the phrase “the road” as its Spanish meaning in connection with the name El Camino.

Related note

The name El Camino is also associated with David Blanco from Guadalajara.