PUYA To Release 'Areyto' EP Next Week

PUYA, the acclaimed Puerto Rican hard rock quartet, returns with a brand new EP, "Areyto".

Officially dropping via iTunes on August 27, 2010, "Areyto" signals a new dawn for the Latin metal innovators. PUYA may have disbanded in 2002, but they've returned stronger than ever on this new collection of original material — their first since 2001's "Union". First single "No Hay Mal Que Por Bien No Venga" preserves the intensity of classic PUYA, while showcasing a vibrant new melodic sensibility. In addition to being released via iTunes, PUYA teamed up with Aderra Technologies to sell a USB wristband with "Areyto", artwork and exclusive extras. Either online or on the USB, "Areyto" is packed to the brim with undeniable anthems that combine vicious thrash, soaring hard rock, salsa swagger and Latin fire. This is PUYA for a new generation.

The band's triumphant reunion show took place at Stereo Music Fest at the Puerto Rico Convention Center in May 2009. Over 12,000 fans celebrated their rebirth along with them. The demand for shows became overwhelming, so PUYA tore up the stages of Medalla Yellow Pass Festival to 60,000 people and the Snickers Urbania Xtreme Games.

There was no better time than now for PUYA to sink their claws back into heavy metal, though.

Drummer Eduardo Paniagua explains: "Everybody had been itching to come back. We just missed PUYA so much. We started having conversations about it, and the second the opportunity came along, we took it. We noticed our music was able to transcend from one generation to another when we did our first reunion show. There were a lot of kids there that couldn't have possibly been at a PUYA show back in the day. It flowed organically for us, and it was meant to be."

After their victorious reunion sets, PUYA self-produced and independently recorded "Areyto" with engineer Isaac Sakko at Redemption Studio in Puerto Rico.

The drummer reveals, "We were experimenting with fusing styles that were worlds apart when we started PUYA. It became something really special because it was ours. We put so much time into it that we couldn't let it just fade away. The old PUYA sound is in tact but we experimented with more vocal harmonies on 'Areyto'. We wanted to venture into other areas and make it fresh."

The single is the perfect introduction to their fresh new sound. "The song is about the silver lining that's always there. We're celebrating that we're back with the original lineup. We're at different places in our lives, but we're still the same kids that started this 20 years ago."

PUYA's had quite the career since they formed in 1990. They've racked up sales of over 500,000 records worldwide over the course of three official releases — "Puya" (1995),"Fundamental" (1999) and "Union" (2001). They snagged a Billboard Music Award for "Best Spanish Rock Album" for "Fundamental", and they've garnered a To Musica Award in Puerto Rico as well.

They're challenging themselves now more than ever. Distributed digitally by People Music, "Areyto" is the first time they've self-produced an album and recorded in Puerto Rico. It also marks their return. Fans can experience "Areyto" live when PUYA headline the Tito Puente Amphitheater in San Juan on September 25. If they can't make it to Puerto Rico, the band has also released an incendiary live DVD entitled "Puya Pa Ti Live!" recorded in Puerto Rico during 2002.

"'Areyto' will always have a special place in the PUYA history," says Eduardo. "We've got an army of fans out there that made this possible. It's been really poetic."