One of the most powerful voices I came across during my research into Venezuelan metal is the voice of Carol Muñoz. She first rose to prominence as the second lead singer of the Caracas-based heavy/power metal band Leben und Drama. After moving to the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires, she started the power metal band Viatorem Astra with three other Venezuelan expats. Muñoz reflects on her journey as a singer and sheds some light on the future of Viatorem Astra.

“Since my childhood, I felt very connected to music and singing”, Muñoz says. “In my teenage years, I studied lyrical singing, which gave me a solid technical foundation to understand my voice and properly take care of it. At home, I listened to artists like Queen, Bonnie Tyler, Maria Callas or Abba. But later, I discovered symphonic metal with female voices that combined opera with metal, and that was a revelation to me.

I was also inspired by powerful voices, such as those of Elkin Ramírez from Kraken, Ronnie James Dio, Elisa C. Martín from Dark Moor, Michael Sweet from Stryper, Fabio Lione from Rhapsody, Timo Kotipelto from Stratovarius, José Andrëa from Mägo de Oz and Leo Jiménez from Saratoga. They motivated me to explore other ranges of my voice, with more strength and aggression, within heavy and power metal.

Discovering Elisa C. Martín was a turning point in my musical life. She inspired me deeply to work on my voice in a range typical of heavy and power metal. Before that turning point, I only used to sing in my lyrical register. Nowadays, I still take singing lessons in Argentina to keep my voice trained, and ready for each rehearsal and performance. For me, vocal discipline is fundamental, and you reach that with consistency, technique, and daily care.”

The Beginning of Everything

“Everything started with training in lyrical singing. With Leben und Drama, I discovered that I could develop that technique towards a more powerful and aggressive register, fitting of heavy and power metal. Leben und Drama was my first formal experience in a band. That marked the beginning of everything for me.

In 2015, the band was looking for a new vocalist. My husband Himmaru Ledezma was already the drummer, so I was in direct contact with them, and I dared to audition. In the end, I was selected, and that’s how my tenure with Leben und Drama began, along with guitarists Dennis Martínez and Ludwig Linares, and bassist Juan Ojito.

We were received very well in Venezuela. We released the EP ‘Magnate Mörder Dai’ in 2017, with four songs you can still find on Spotify – ‘Ni Lobos ni Ovejas’, ‘Lejos de Ti’, ‘Magnate Mörder Dai’ and ‘Pobre Hombre’ – and two official video clips on YouTube. We were nominated in several categories of the Melomaniac Awards, and I won their award for Best Female Vocalist in 2016.

Outside Venezuela, we also received support, with interviews from media from Colombia, Mexico, and Argentina. It was a very enriching experience, and a great learning process.”

Interestingly, original Leben und Drama lead singer Daniel Hernández is male. That never caused any problems with the audience for Muñoz. “The acceptance was very positive”, she assures. “There was an immediate connection, and that gave us a lot of confidence as a band.”

Strengthening the Underground Circuit

“During the days when Leben und Drama was active, we shared the stage with many bands from the national scene. Bands like Lignum Crucis, Altair, Hekla, Ánimas Negras, Tepuy, Anacronic, Escudo, and Wolfgang, among others. That helped keep the scene alive and strengthen the underground metal circuit in Venezuela. There is so much talent in Venezuela, and so much passion for music.

There were significant differences between different cities. Each producer did what they could with the resources they had available. Thanks to that effort, we were able to play in different regions of the country. The audiences were always very receptive and passionate, which compensated for all the technical difficulties we may have experienced.”

Muñoz also contributed to the scene through the project Ensamble Titán. “It was a parallel project where musicians from different bands came together to pay tribute to the great historical exponents of Venezuelan metal”, she explains. “Bands like Torre de Marfil, Metempsicosis, Arkangel, Resistencia, and Trance, among others. It was a very enriching experience, both musically and personally.”

A Musical Rebirth

“Leben und Drama has been on pause since 2018, when Himmaru and I emigrated from Venezuela. We don’t rule out resuming the band at some point, but for now, it is not active. It was a huge challenge to get something going in Argentina, because emigrating means starting from scratch. But it was also a musical rebirth: we met talented and committed musicians, and that allowed us to build Viatorem Astra with a lot of passion.

After Himmaru and I moved to Argentina, very opportunely, guitarist Marwin Key reached out to me, as he was already familiar with our work in Leben und Drama. We immediately clicked. That’s when the true birth of Viatorem Astra began. We completed our main line-up when our original bassist Humberto Ortega joined. Currently, our lineup has Andersond Jiménez in that position. We are all Venezuelans who emigrated to this beautiful country.

Leben und Drama was my school, where I discovered my voice within metal and grew as a performer. Viatorem Astra is a project that was born seeking to reconnect again with composing, rehearsing, and playing live. It is a proposal born from our life experiences, with a broader vision and a more international projection than with Leben und Drama.

In Leben und Drama, the lyrics were more focused on social issues, on reflecting realities and human drama. In Viatorem Astra, on the otherh and, they are more introspective and personal. We also tell ancient stories, among other topics. For example, ‘Manat’ is inspired by the Mesopotamian goddess of the same name, while ‘Nueva Huella’ is about leaving everything behind, starting over, and moving forward with that memory.

The live circuit in Venezuela was much more limited, and sustained by personal efforts from people. In Argentina, although there are also challenges, there is a much more solid infrastructure, with more venues, and more support, so that bands can play regularly.”

A Much Clearer Vision

“We recently released the lyric video for our song ‘Nueva Huella’, and the third single ‘Paciente 331’, marking the path toward what will be our first EP, which will also include our first two singles ‘Manat’ and ‘Nueva Huella’. ‘Patiente 331’ saw us experimenting with lower ranges, vocally speaking, and creating a darker atmosphere, in line with what we tell in the story about Patient 331. There will also be a fourth song on the EP. I don’t know if you are a gamer, but this next song strongly evokes ‘Dark Souls’ for us. We are huge fans.

We are also finalizing all the details of our first studio album, a project we have approached with great commitment, dedication, and attention to detail, without stopping our songwriting process. We continue playing live in Argentina, hoping to keep expanding both nationally and internationally.

Today, I feel much more mature as a performer than when I first started making music. I have a much clearer vision of what I want to convey with music. There has been a vocal evolution: going from lyrical singing to a powerful voice within metal, capable of transmitting strength and emotion. I also grew in composition, teamwork and confidence on stage.”

Many thanks to Marcial Meléndez and Joad Manuel Jiménez for helping set up this interview.