A folk-metal outfit with a conceptual streak, Spanish band Mägo de Oz has spent more than 30 years expanding the boundaries of heavy music. ∙ Founded in 1988 by drummer (and semiprofessional soccer player) Txus di Fellatio, the group originally was called Transilvania, a name gleaned from Iron Maiden, one of their biggest influences. ∙ The 1996 rock opera Jesús de Chamberí was the group’s first concept album, but their first Gold record was the Don Quixote-themed follow-up, La Leyenda de la Mancha. ∙ Launched in 2003, their Gaia trilogy found success—parts II and III both hit No. 1—while spinning tales of ecological destruction and the Spanish conquest of America. ∙ In a political first, the Platinum record for Mägo de Oz’s 2005 LP, Gaia II, was presented to the band by Spain’s Minister of Culture, Carmen Calvo. ∙ Singer Jose Andrëa departed in 2011, and Zeta—former frontman of the hard rock outfit Al Otro Lado—became the band’s new vocalist, debuting on 2013’s Hechizos, Pócimas y Brujería. ∙ The 2019 LP Ira Dei—which controversially depicts adult actress Apolonia Lapiedra being crucified on the cover—topped the album charts in both Spain and Mexico.