Brujeria – Pocho Aztlán
Record Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Release Date: Out Now
Review By: Matt Bolton
Mexican terrorists Brujeria have been sharing their deathgrind with the masses since 1989 and on their fourth full-length release, Pocho Aztlán, the time is now, as the bands message is most relevant with the way the world is heading today than ever before. 16 years ago the band released Brujerizmo and the rage has only grown stronger since. Recent single, Viva Presidente Trump! is strongly supportive of this statement, with the American Political Muppets of late.
Currently with a stellar line up of musicians such as Jeffrey Walker of Carcass fame, going by the name of El Cynico, Shane Embury of Napalm Death as Hongo, Nicholas Barker, ex- Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, as Hongo Jr. behind the kit along with long time members; vocalist John Lepe as Juan Brujo and Pat Hoed as Fantasma.
Title track Pocho Aztlán gets things rolling at full speed and Brujeria come at full force from the get-go. The blistering bass paves the way for some stomping riffs that lead up to blast beats on next track No Aceptan Imitaciones. Frontman Brujo is sounding fresher than ever and his laugh at the end of this track would bring a smile to any Brujeria fan as it is the same laugh made famous at the end of the infamous La Migra clip from the 1995 album, Raza Odiada, a song about border crossing.
Track highlights include the thrashing sing-a-long Ángel De La Frontera, which will have you swaying your head from side to side and violently head banging the next. The church-like chants make way for some breathing room that only welcomes a build up of satanic proportions. It couldn’t be a Brujeria record without a tribute to Pablo Escabar with Plata O Plomo, a strong interest in this day and age with the Netlflix series of Narcos. The video to go with this track, which you should check out below, shows real pics of the Cartel. Not for the light-hearteded as they are brutal, but they suit the music nonetheless. This is one brutal roller coaster ride with more twists and turns than a Hitchcock plot.
The samples that are throughout make the experience a treat and they are most effective in tracks like Isla De La Fantasía with its blasts of gun fire and screams creating much atmosphere. Bruja is probably the grooviest track here and you will not find a repeat of the previous as each song stands apart as its own. Not short of humour, the aptly titled Culpan La Mujer, translates to ‘Blame the woman’, with hard hitting riffs a plenty. No fillers are found here as all 13 tracks prove their worth. Ending with a brilliant cover of the Dead Kennedy‘s California Über Alles, here we have Brujeria putting their stamp on the classic with California Uber Aztlan. The Brujeria camp is alive and well. Go out and grab yourself a copy today and support real music with a message. \m/
Get your copy of Pocho Aztlán here:
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/music/browse/metal/pocho-aztlan/982417/
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/music/Whats-Hot/metal/pocho-aztlan-vinyl/982421/
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWDZayTVScU&w=560&h=315]
