Album Review
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.
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.
JRX |
posted on 11/2006 |
Fun Fact: Ramon Ortiz of Puya is actually the founding member of Ankla, he left Puya to pursue a heavier band with more hispanic influences and to fully flesh out the vision he had for his local music of Puerto Rico.
JRX |
posted on 11/2006 |
Surprisingly nice, defintely different. Enjoyable. Agreed on the scores fully.
I disagree with a lot of the comparisons though. This album absolutely reeks of latin music... almost every factet of it. I don't think Slipknot fans would dig this at all, really... actually, I'd think Sepultura and Puya fans would enjoy the fuck out of this. It's basically all the fleeting, rare good parts of Puya, mixed with a heavy dose of "groove core" (think older Devildriver), a nice injection of latin polyrhythms, and awesome salsa-styled playing. And yeah, "Deciet" is a killer track.
It's a deviation to be sure, and defintely not for everyone, but god damn it's got some killer grooves.