The festival ULL Rock It returned once again to the Aguere Cultural space last Friday the 16th, which serves as the final of the Music Prize organized by the University of La Laguna through its Vice-Rectorate of Culture and University Extension. Gunpowder, with its energy glam Contagious, in this, its second participation in the contest, won the first prize of 1,400 euros. The second prize, of 600 euros, went to Revenge and Desire, with a powerful proposal of groove American-style metal.
Following a welcome address by the Vice-Rector for Culture and University Extension, Isabel León, the five finalist groups each had 20 minutes to present their repertoire to the audience and the jury that had pre-selected them for the festival. This year's edition of the University Music Prize received around thirty entries, ten more than last year.
Now you're screwed.
The presenter and journalist Daniel Álvarez introduced the first band of the night, Now you're screwed., which they define as indie rock. They warmed up the crowd with songs like “El sentido del ruido” (The Sense of Noise), released in 2026, “La forma exacta” (The Exact Shape), from 2025, and closed with “Ahora sí” (Now Yes), also from the previous year. Their songs, with catchy lyrics and pop influences, address everyday themes with a profound perspective, describing the experiences of each of its five members, who began their musical career as friends in high school.
Mutable.
The experimental music duo Mutable They were the second act on stage. The band consisted of Iñaki Allende on guitar and bass, and Tiago Braúna on drums and percussion, who appeared virtually this time via a screen recording from Brazil. They were also joined by Paulo Delgado on saxophone, adding a jazzy touch to their warm instrumental sound, which draws from progressive rock, Brazilian influences, and other musical styles. groove. They thrilled the audience, closing with a song performed in English by the powerful voice of singer Nika, who regularly collaborates with the duo.
Revenge and Desire.
Midway through the evening, it was the turn of the second prize winner, Revenge and Desire, to literally move the audience, proposing a mosh pit which immersed the audience in a whirlwind during the first song. This band, originally from Tenerife and active since 2020, defines itself as trash/groove metal, following in the footsteps of iconic groups like Pantera or Metallica. They performed some of their five singles, all in English, like the last one of them, “Faces””, presented in August 2026 and which will be part of their first album, currently in pre-production. Revenge and Desire expressed their gratitude and emphasized that this competition is one of the few venues on the island where they can play with acoustic instruments.
Gunpowder.
They were followed by the night's winners, Gunpowder, who also participated in 2025. This young band from hard rock/metal is inspired by bands like Poison, Jackyl, Warrant, and Airbourne. Founded in 2023 by Rodrigo Labarra, singer, lead guitarist, and songwriter, and his brother Mateo, drummer and backing vocalist. Later, Bruno Sarli joined as rhythm guitarist and Daniel Alonso as bassist. To the rhythm of rock & roll With touches of glam, they offered a whole spectacle: they lifted the entire audience into the air in jumps and Labarra descended from the stage on the shoulders of a collaborator to sing around the attendees.
Vergil Must Die.
Another of the youngest bands closed the competition phase, Vergil Must Die, whose leader and creator, Víctor Escobar, surprised everyone with his guttural voice. It is a musical project from Tenerife that fuses industrial metal, dark trap and a dark visual aesthetic, combining the distortion and power of contemporary metal with electronic atmospheres. They have released two albums between 2024 and 2025 and are currently working on a third. Although the vocals didn't project as much as expected on stage, they constantly interacted with an audience deeply engaged with their original sound.
Change.
Finally, while the jury deliberated, last year's winning band, the post-hardcore instrumental duo, returned to Aguere Cultural. Change, The band, comprised of guitarist Cristo and drummer Cas, premiered their third and final album, titled “III,” that same night. They surprised the audience with an introduction that projected black and white images of political and social commentary accompanied by audio from part of the famous speech in the film “Any Given Sunday.”.
The jury for this edition is once again chaired by the musicologist and professor from the Department of Art History and Philosophy Sara Arenillas Meléndez, She noted the lack of bands with female members, as some were unavailable to perform last Friday. She also pointed out that this year saw a record number of metal bands registered, a genre that is quite male-dominated, and therefore encourages more bands with women to participate in the future.
The other members of the jury were Cristina Ruiz Hernández, singer of the group Las Ratas and music producer; David Álvarez, writing partner of Lagenda, musician and cultural manager; and, as secretary, Beatriz Martín de la Rosa, cultural manager of the Vice-Rectorate of Culture and University Extension.
The jury expressed their enthusiasm for the youth of the bands, the enthusiastic audience, and the fact that this year saw more acts than ever before, all while adhering to the schedule both in rehearsals and on stage. In the words of Cristina Ruiz and David Álvarez, it was “one of the best editions we’ve ever experienced.” All of this fills them with hope that the rock scene will continue to thrive in Tenerife.
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