Tierra Santa

Tierra Santa is a Spanish heavy metal band from La Rioja, originally formed in 1991 under the name "Privacy" before renaming themselves in 1997. The name Tierra Santa — Spanish for "Holy Land" — reflects their medieval-themed lyrics drawing on myths, historical battles and legends. Their self-produced debut album *Medieval* (1997) established their epic power metal sound, and they soon hit the road as support for Dio on the American band's Spanish tour. Signing with Locomotive Music, they released *Legendario* in 1999, broadening their audience across Spain and Latin America. That same year they contributed a cover of "Flight of the Icarus" to the Iron Maiden tribute album *Transilvania 666*. Albums such as *Tierras De Leyenda* (2000) and *Indomable* (2003) earned them the nickname "the Spanish Iron Maiden." After a hiatus from 2008 to 2010, the band returned and most recently released *Destino* in 2022. Led by vocalist and guitarist Ángel San Juan, Tierra Santa remain one of the defining acts of Spanish-language heavy metal alongside Mägo de Oz and Saratoga. They have also appeared on Mallorca, including a set at the BCM Summer Festival in 2001.