Kev Rowland
When Brujeria first hit the extreme metal scene back in the Nineties, there was a great deal of discussion as to who was actually in the band, as they all used nicknames to hide their true identities. On guitar and bass was none other than Aesino, probably best known to many as Dino Cazares of Fear Factory, and due to involvement of members in other bands, Brujeria kept going on hiatus while they fulfilled other commitments. It took two years for the second album to see the light of day, five for the third, but no-one ever imagined that it would take sixteen years for the fourth to come out. There have been quite a few changes in the band in the intervening years, with Dino no longer there, but singer Juan Brujo has been a constant, as has bassist Fantasma and guitar/bassist Hongo and Pinche Peach (backing vocals/samples). They have always prided themselves on playing metal heavily influenced by grindcore and early thrash, along with some Mexican influences. To be honest, they have personally always reminded me of early Sepultura, in terms of brutality, rawness and sheer power.
The sixteen-year layoff hasn’t done them any harm, as this album shows them still as heavy as they have always been. They haven’t lost their sense of humour either, with the final song being a Spanish language tongue-in-cheek cover of the Dead Kennedy’s "California über Alles". Let’s just hope that it doesn’t take quite so long for the next one!