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- Bands:
TZOMPANTLI - Duration: 00:42:17
- Available from: 05/17/2024
- Label:
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20 Buck Spins
Streaming not yet available
In the heart of the American musical underground, a dark and primordial force returns today to manifest itself through the imposing sound of Tzompantli. Originally shaped by the creative mind of Brian Ortiz, already known as the leader of Xibalba, the death-doom project has been able to channel its Mesoamerican roots into an attractive sound form already with the self-titled debut album in 2022, but with the new
“Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force” things get even more interesting, given that Tzompantli seems to have stopped being a solo adventure to transform himself into a real collective of musicians on the Californian circuit.
The appeal of the group is easy to identify: on the one hand, the style seeks the depth of the so-called sacred monsters of the genre, but on the other Ortiz and his companions try to channel influences borrowed from their own ethnic background within it, resulting in a fresher and at the same time accessible, full of fervor and soul. Compared to the drier sound of the beginnings, the new work shows an undoubted evolution, embracing Mesoamerican elements even more openly and enriching the compositions with traditional instruments, choirs and, in general, more refined arrangements.
Guided by Ortiz's vision, Tzompantli seem here to be intent on transforming music into a multisensory experience, which, in a couple of circumstances, also manages to transcend the boundaries of the genre. If the debut, despite various ethnic touches, was essentially a concentration of Morbid Angel, Disembowelment and Rippikoulu, “Beating…” dares a little more and mixes the cards, offering both some of the most aggressive and tight scores of the entire repertoire of the band, and its most reflective and painful moments, to underline a narrative path that is more refined than ever, where the power of death-doom is not the only element at play.
What makes the album particularly interesting is precisely the band's ability to merge the powerful metal base with the spirituality and cultural richness of Mesoamerican traditions: the riffs are nourished by the same sources of inspiration as always, confirming themselves to be very heavy, but this time they are accompanied more regularly by an atmospheric contour that is always measured and never bombastic, an environmental setup capable of reflecting the musicians' desire to reconnect with their cultural and spiritual roots, as an antidote to the superficiality and alienation of the modern world.
The tracklist acquires particularly depth at the height of long episodes such as “Tetzaviztli” and “Icnocuicatl”, in which the percussions, choirs and more intricate register changes – with a death-doom that at times approaches Evoken, for then being broken by airs close to black metal – they are conveyed towards an ideal contemplative zone where they seem to evoke sacred rituals, as if the ancient gods were speaking through the music of Tzompantli, revealing hidden secrets and ancestral truths.
This evolution towards a more refined proposal probably would not have been possible without the contribution of the musicians who joined Ortiz's project. Each of them seems to bring with them their own experience and vision, helping to create a denser and more multi-faceted album than the debut. In this sense, “Beating…” is a tribute to the strength of collaboration and the wonder that can arise when creative minds come together for a common goal, as well as being a concrete and, if necessary, devastating album, when it is left to its own devices. more combative. Upon careful listening, the tracklist in fact smacks of a cathartic experience, with the most compact and brutal songs placed in the first part and the more structured ones with a wider range of dynamics following, in a crescendo of emotion within which the magic of making every point of reference disappear and where a personal and inspired discourse really takes place, as demonstrated, among others, by the two aforementioned passages.
“Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force” therefore not only confirms Tzompantli's talent and verve, but elevates them to new heights of creativity. If the debut was already convincing, this new work is even more so, highlighting a comforting ability to evolve and transform one's sound into something even deeper and more engaging. The saga of these guardians of an ancient tradition is becoming more and more exciting.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM