Rodrigo y Gabriela electrify with acoustic guitars

Sometimes strumming speaks louder than words, and Rodrigo y Gabriela have plenty to say with their fingers.

Don't let their reticence fool you into thinking this is some background-only instrumental soft sell. The Mexican duo may not sing, but their guitars do all the talking in their unique blend of Latin, Flamenco and heavy metal styles. That's right, metal.

Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero played in a metal band together in Mexico. Long story short, they moved to Ireland, ditching their electric guitars for classical ones and drawing on their Flamenco and folk backgrounds to create a style of music that is now making them international sensations. The impeccable rhythm and breakneck guitar handling is impressive on their self-titled album and was electrifying live Wednesday night at the Paramount.

Gabriela is the rhythm section, and she kept myriad beats with the drum of her fingers, rolling them on every part of the guitar, while also chugging out power chords. Rodrigo plays lead and drives the voice of their songs, exploding them into a frenetic climax just as quickly as he drops back into a delicate patter. His fingers quiver from fret to fret at a supersonic speed.

They remained seated for most of the show, but that didn't diminish their intensity in the slightest. Focused intently, it was clear they have incredible respect for their instruments. A camera — shooting grainy black and white — gave close-ups of their unbelievable finger work.

They kept between-song talking to a minimum, but both did slip into a few rambling explanations of the process of recording their upcoming album. Gabriela peppered her speech with enough Irish-lilted expletives to make any metal fan proud.

Rodrigo is clearly more comfortable in the spotlight. Both seem focused on the intricacies of their tempo-wild songs while they're playing, but Rodrigo was the one to lead the audience interaction — clapping rhythms divided by floor section and a singalong to Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here." And he knows how to get the crowd riled up, teasing with a sampling of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" or, less seriously, Extreme's "More than Words." In a display of rock-star showmanship, he even took a swig of beer and then played slide with the bottle.

They played most of the songs from their self-titled release (including a fresh version of "Stairway to Heaven"), although they tried out a few yet-to-be-named new ones that had slight hints of jazz and Zeppelin-esque bluesy rock.

A diverse, multigenerational crowd showed R&G the kind of enthusiasm you would expect at a rock concert: deafening screams and almost unceasing handclapping.

Joanna Horowitz: jbhorowitz@gmail.com

Rodrigo y Gabriela: Hear them online at www.myspace.com/rodrigoygabriela.