Bringing the Confusion to the Mexica Hearts
I paid my
attention on this band for only one reason. A name. Yes, the deity of Xipe
Totec is rather widely used amongst the metal musicians (four bands with such a
name on the site), and now it is a good time to write something about the
second release of Xipe Totec Kalpul. And though the name of release has its own
roots in Mexica mythology, musically “Xoxopantla” is a very weak material. Mexicans
perform black metal maintained in very simple (or better to write: primitive)
way, of course it’s not a blame, but it is absolutely without any highlights or
worthwhile elements. Yep, that’s right, their music has an original touch, as
they are band using indigenous instruments. But beyond any doubt, incorporating
such thing must fit to the whole, yet we are talking about metal stuff. And
with this, I have a big problem. The opening song “Anahuakajotl” even some
calm, interesting and promising tunes, is completely destroyed by a flute and
its horrible, silly melody. Yes, I know, it is a folk, but in hopeless and
wretched dimension. Riffs are played in a very typical way, yet they can create
mediocre, but sometimes memorable and straight-forward layers of accessible riffs
(in “Xipe Totec” and “Youali Ejekatl” songs), unfortunately, such production of
guitars and drums makes absolutely no good to the sound and the music itself. It
is rather impossible to find something really cool in this musical hurly-burly,
but a real defeat is track called “Estlikiauitl”: one of the worst black metal
song that I’ve ever heard. This pseudo-beast lasts six minutes, musically
(again with horrible folk instruments and massive noisy outbursts of guitar
sound) is a crime against my nervous system. Such a construction of the metal
song is totally inacceptable: (black) metal music should be a machine that
wounds a listener without mercy, here in this song, these Mexicans raped my
senses only. And let me ask you: where is the black charm, where is the black
harmony? You bring nothing to me, but a disastrous cacophony…
This record
has three bonus tracks with completely rehearsal sound (to be honest, not bad
at all), two of them are in demo versions (“Xipe Totec”, and “Estlikiauitl”
sadly…) and the last one is an instrumental performance that brings some
needful alleviation to my tired mind. And I ask myself once again: how can I
find something interesting? Even if vocalist screams like a possessed, even if
he uses sometimes almost death grunts, even if the band put two different kind
of clean vocals (on tracks 1 and 2, but definitely it has to be improved), the
whole seems to be a puzzle with too many blocks for the band. As I am a nice
guy, I always try to notice in such releases a ray of hope, thus, writing the
next songs in the vein of “Xipe Totec”, and “Youali Ejekatl” is necessary for
Xipe Totec Kalpul due to promising guitar work, just like throwing away mostly
useless and lame using of folk instruments. More power, more speed, more
mutilating and slaying compositions with much better production will be a good (and
only) thing for band musical development for sure. The band is rooted deeply in
their national mythology, in pre-hispanic beliefs naming his music ‘Anahuak
Mexihkajotl Black Metal’. So, guys, don’t offend your band mightful patron by
releasing such rash sounds. Beyond doubt, everything should be corrected and
improved here, as your music is a complete contrary to the culture of your
country.
25/100
-Tlacaxipehualiztli
(previously written for Encyclopaedia Metallum, on November, 2013)
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