Synopsis:

How to make an "Ankla": One part Tequila, one part Soulfly, one part Slipknot, add a dash of Latino/Hispanic ethnicity-Shake well and serve chilled with a stellar production.

Review:

I’ve actually owned this album for a few months now, so writing this review was relatively easy once it surfaced in the old MetalReview void.

What we have here is some solid if contrived Nu-ish metal with a heavy Soulfly influence. Not quite as completely copycat as Ektomorf, and the tribal elements are by way of a more Hispanic theme rather than South American Jungle Tribes, but it’s there with lots of ‘Jumpdafuck’ up grooves (“Suelta el Ankla (Boquerón)”, “Your Grace Makes Me Sick”, “Flush”), all delivered with a thick Ross Robison –esque production. The Slipknot element comes by way of a few ‘death fans metal accept us please’ blast beats (i.e.”Generación Mutante”, “Still Alive”) and growls “(Steep Trails”), the screamed/shouted vocals and the layered drumming/percussion.

That description right there has probably insured most of you have clicked out of this review, but for those of you still around, I will elaborate. Steep Trails is a solid album if you are a more open minded metal fan who has Iowa tucked away in his album collection. It’s heavy, full of stout grooves, and to be honest, the under used Hispanic elements are quite nicely done. Tracks like “Intro/Sinking”, the flamenco flocked “Deceit”, the radio friendly “Glimpse", “Scattered Existence” are more enjoyable because of the ethnic element that’s never hammered home, but cleverly utilized and based around acceptable metal riffage.

Still, the fact Steep Trails still resides in my CD shelf is a testimony to how I view this album as opposed to Iowa and Subliminal Verses, which were jettisoned many moons ago.