ESP Guitars is proud to announce the newest member of our acclaimed artist family with the addition of Ladrones guitarist José Macario. José is a remarkably versatile musician whose influences and performance styles can't be tied down to any one specific genre. Instead, this Jalisco, Mexico-born guitarist derives his own unique sound via a combination of metal, hip hop, and many styles of traditional and new Regional Mexican music.

Beginning on guitar at age six, José took to his instrument with natural talent. Initially learning on acoustic, he became a specialist on flamenco guitar, eventually winning multiple national performance contests in his age range. But like many of us, his teenage years began a love of metal. At the age of 13, he was already working with Mexican deathcore/metalcore band Arcadia Libre, and found himself sharing stages with internationally-known bands including The Faceless, The Black Dahlia Murder, and many others.

In 2021, José — along with vocalists Zxmyr and Cirujano Resendez, and drummer Diego Zornoza — formed Ladrones. Their debut album Flow Pesado came out in 2024, with their second full-length album Mexican Pesado being released the following year. Their most recent album, Arriba La L, came out in late August of this year. The band's music reflects the stylistic versatility of its guitarist, with a melange of metal, hip hop, and Regional Mexican sounds heard in nearly every track.

As a new ESP artist, José has found a number of guitars that suit his precise, powerful, virtuosic playing style. One is the LTD Deluxe SN-1007HT Baritone, a guitar that allows him to explore the depths of extended range tuning. But another is the LTD M-7HT Baritone Black Metal, a neck-thru-body beast that offers everything José needs for his most innovative work.

Ladrones has been on the road, and also has some exciting upcoming festival dates, including Louder Than Life (September 18), Aftershock (October 4), and Dia De Los Deftones (November 7), where perhaps he'll get to compare guitars with the iconic ESP Signature artist Stephen Carpenter. Get to know more about José and Ladrones on their official site.