Acéldama

Acéldama is a brutal death metal band formed in 2005 in San Ramón, Alajuela, Costa Rica. The name comes from the Aramaic (חקל דמא, "field of blood"), the ground in Jerusalem tied to Judas Iscariot in the biblical accounts.

What began as death metal grew heavier and denser over the years. Their lyrics deal with Christianity, death and philosophy — a trait that sets the band apart within the Central American extreme scene.

After early demos — Víctimas de la muerte (2006), Promo (2009) — and the EP Sepultados en tinieblas (2007), the band debuted in full-length form with Melquisedec (2010), followed by Essence of Impurity (2014, Martyrdom Records), Desbridamiento de la miseria (2019) and Cruciatti Mentis (2024), the latter released through Morbid Generation Records.

Their live shows have taken them across Central and South America — Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, Colombia and Peru — and in 2022 they crossed the Atlantic to play Deathfeast Open Air in Andernach, Germany. In 2025, their 20th anniversary, they shared stages in Costa Rica and Peru with Suffocation, Condemned and Cephalotripsy.