Courtesy Valletta recorded the vocals for its EP in about three hours. The band is going for a spontaneous sound.

THEY ARE: Valletta

THE MEMBERS: Alfredo Ramirez, lead vocals; Drew Maltese, lead guitar; Jake Torres, bass; Leonel Pompa, rhythm guitar; Aaron Montano, drums

THE SOUND: Energetic alt rock with some metal influences. What sets it apart from most San Antonio metal bands? “We're not that angry. There's no screaming,” Maltese said. “The first time people hear it, they hear all the craziness going on, but underneath it there's a lot of texture.”

THE WEB: myspace.com/vallettaband

THEIR ALBUMS: Valletta's five-song self-titled EP is scheduled to drop this month.

THEIR WORDS: “Our songs are usually pretty optimistic, about trying to achieve something. Things are going to go wrong but that doesn't mean the sun's not going to shine tomorrow. I hope everybody's soft spots get hit by our music and then they're like, ‘Oh, I'm not that angry now.'.” — Drew Maltese

BACKGROUND: Maltese, Torres, Pompa and Montano played together for more than a year in a bubblegum pop band that Maltese will only refer to as “Band X.” They decided to change it up and found Ramirez to front the band and write the lyrics. The band's name comes from Malta's tiny capital city. “They had built this city from ruins and had made it the most amazing architectural thing. And that's kind of how I see the music,” Maltese said.

WHERE TO SEE THEM: At The White Rabbit, 2410 N. St. Mary's St., on Thursday, Oct. 25, when fans can get an early copy of the CD.

THE 210 TAKE: Valletta is a fairly new band, but the members, while young, have considerable experience and talent. Check out the first track on the EP, “Self-Confirmed Lost Cause,” which might sound like a song to a girl but is actually about Ramirez trying out for the band. “We didn't think he liked it that much, then he writes a song about it, and we're like, OK, he's in,” Maltese said.

Jessica Belasco | 210SA Contributor