Head Cut : "Coraz​ó​n Negro"

 

The first thing that sets this band apart from other post-punk revivalists it the bass tone sounds more like Justin Chancellor from Tool. It has a tense thick groove but without most of the prog tendencies. The vocals are those of an angry female, but she does not really sound like Siouxsie, though has a more punk approach. The guitars do some interesting things and the drummer rocks out a little harder than your average post-punk drummer who normally sticks to an almost disco beat. They bounce around showing some nuance on the marginally more melodic "I Still Like You".  More intricate than Joy Division and more kinetic than the Cure, this band finds a balance of sounds that works. 

When they launch themselves into a more reckless high energy style of punk it does not prove to be as compelling. "Red Cloud" has more of a Cramps-like shuffle as the guitar takes on a more surf rock tone. They are from Ventura, California, but half the songs are sung in Spanish, which works on some things better than others.  "Living Lament' I had to go back to and give another listen as it did not grab me the first time. It's pretty much a punk song with some angular post-punk nuance. It did sound better than the second time around. 

I think a great deal of this album would grow on me more over time. But given the nature of what I do and how I have already listened to 400 new albums this year, if something makes it in my regular rotation outside of reviews it really has to offer something I am not getting from other bands.  "I Was High" is the album's best song, due to the fact it is also the darkest. I will give this album an 8.5 if you want a Spanish Punk take on post-punk then this album is for you, they are a band to watch for sure. 

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