Barricada's gang of hard rockers were like no other in Spanish heavy metal history. The band came together in the early ‘80s and launched an assault of brash, rapid-fire releases throughout the decade, then hit their stride with a string of major hit albums in the early ‘90s. Lead singer Enrique Villarreal, nicknamed El Drogas, often sang until his voice had been run ragged. Barricada created taut, muscular heavy metal that sounded at home among classics like Iron Maiden. In their later years, though, the band updated their sound by turning up the bass for a new generation of nu-metal fans.