POP MUSIC REVIEW : Rata Blanca: Charisma and Tight Playing

The Argentine metal band Rata Blanca is on a crusade to keep alive the spirit of Deep Purple and Whitesnake, and even though they really offer nothing new, they’ll return to Argentina with their mission accomplished: More than 200 rockeros , both mexicanos and argentinos , showed up for its Los Angeles debut on Wednesday at the Whisky and appeared to be fully satisfied.

Rata Blanca (White Rat) comes from Bajo Flores, a blue-collar Buenos Aires suburb. Formed in the mid-’80s, the band went on to release three top-selling albums and become the most successful Argentine metal group ever, selling out three tours at home before going international.

At the Whisky--the final U.S. show on a tour that also included dates in Spain and Mexico--they proved to be an experienced, tight sextet, with singer Adrian Barilari a hybrid of Purple’s Ian Gillan and Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson after a night in a tango bar. Their charisma and power made up for their lack of creativity, but the band seems capable of something more original.

The show was opened by Medina Azahara, Spain’s top metal band, named after their home city in Andalusia. They also suffered from the derivative disease, but did have one quite appealing feature: Manuel Martinez sings in an Andalusian style, in an unusual blend of flamenco and heavy-metal that distinguishes them from the pack.