SkalyVan is an Alternative Metal band, formed in 2018. Their first EP The Scars That Define Us, which was recorded on their houses and was released on June 4th, 2021, giving them the first step to the music industry.

Then on August 4th, 2022, is released The Scars That Define Us (Instrumental Edition), instrumental version of their first EP.

From the beginning the group was formed by guitarist Rodrigo Arlegui (Rod) in 2016 and as time went by Rod integrated Juan Sandoval as drummer to the musical project. From the beginning it was nothing more than a hobby project focused on entertainment.

In 2017 the duo of musicians decided to start working their demos in a slightly more serious way, likewise it was decided to give the group the name "Draxtex". At the end of the year the drummer Juan Sandoval decided to rename the group as "SkalyVan". By chance both members agreed to start looking for a vocalist and it was the drummer who started contacting possible candidates. It wasn't long before he suddenly contacted the first and only vocalist Ismael Maldonado through a group that shared the same musical taste.

Initially the drummer Juan rejected Ismael's entry, being so the guitarist began to insist on the integration of the same, since he considered that this one had the necessary talent to be part of this project. After a week he was allowed to join the group. Along with him, as time went by, other musicians recommended by the same vocalist joined the project.

In 2018 the first demo version of "I Am True" was made, giving initial foot to the first song of the band. In the creative process, a third party recommended to the drummer a new member who would complement as rhythm guitarist. During this period the demos titled "Return to the Abyss" and "You Left a Wound" were created. Shortly after, the demo "Return to the Abyss" was published on the Youtube platform, but it didn't last long.

In the middle of the same year the band was inactive, but it did not affect the creative sense of each member, thus being born "Pursuer" as an independent demo of the lead guitarist Rod. This aroused the guitarist's curiosity in including vocals to the demo, which is why Rod asked the vocalist to add his own. At the end of 2018 the band decided to end the inactivity and start working on an EP.

In the middle of 2019 differences arose with the rhythm guitarist so it ended with his departure, leaving as a first instance the title of a demo called "A Picture of Shit".

After a few months drummer Juan met a possible new candidate for rhythm guitarist, René R. Pinto (Ray) who took the vacancy, and who coincidentally fit perfectly with the objectives of the band. With Ray's entry, in early 2020 the songs "A Picture of Shit", "All to End" and most of "Agony" were created. Later Ray left the band for personal reasons to rejoin again after 3 months.

Since then the band took a more formal turn and took some time to learn and experiment about the world of music. In the process the previously created songs were re-recorded but applying the acquired knowledge, and the recording process of the EP was finished at the end of 2020.

At the beginning of the year 2021 the mixing and mastering process (EP) was done by the band itself, in order to release "The Scars That Define Us" on June 4th, 2021.

Source : Rod