| Reino Ermitaņo (CD) | 2004 | None |
Now we can add another excellent band to that short list: Reino Ermitaņo, from Lima, Peru. My knowledge of Spanish is far from perfect, but something tells me that these folks could school the rest of us about musical genres and underground music history. For one thing, I heard about the band from my old pal Federico Wolman of Dragonauta, whose knowledge is extensive and whose taste is impeccable. So I figured right away that Reino Ermitaņo ("Hermit Kingdom") was something special.
Well, few discs in recent memory have combined such a killer doom groove with a broad stylistic palette to such good effect, but this is definitely one of them. The band is led by Tania Duarte's clean, often double-tracked vocals, which often lend a radio-friendly ambience to the proceedings. This is subverted by the thick, warm, doomed-out underground guitar n' bass, which in rather traditional style, make sure that this music is unlikely to ever be heard on most radio stations. Heavy. "Naka" Almeida's drums are agile and effective, though sometimes mixed just a bit too far back. There are a number of other instruments involved that lend color and variety to the music, without ever turning it into one of those trendy - and boring - efforts at "world music." Screw that crap, let’s doom!
Tracks like 'El Ensonador' and 'Melquiades' shout DOOM, but always with a twist. 'Bierro, el Morbido' is reminiscent of Acid King, not least because the vocals kinda sorta resemble our dear Lori S. 'Bardo' and 'Dansa de las Brujas' are unexpected forays into Renaissance-inspired acoustic territory, while 'Fortaleza' has moments of folky beauty slamming into a Latin-influenced metal fest. The songs are not all perfect by any means, but the writing quality is consistently high. It’s hard to nail the whole thing, but there's everything here from Hellhound-label depression to 90s underground hard rock to pop to prog to straight metal to Renaissance madrigals to folk, with lots of epic moments of drama, all wrapped up and stamped "DOOM."
Now don't tell me that the Spanish lyrics are going to get in the way, because that’s the kind of culture-bound thinking that keeps all good rockers from hearing the likes of Abramis Brama and, yes, Dragonauta. Besides, they DON'T get in the way. I for one can't wait to hear the next effort by people who so obviously care about their craft.
Band contact: elreinopesado@yahoo.com
1. El Ensonador
2. Las Hadas
3. Espacio Interior
4. Letargo
5. Birro, el Morbido
6. Bardo
7. Fortaleza
8. Profundidad de las Sombras
9. Celda del Dolor
10. Danza de las Brujas
11. Melquiades
12. La Mariposa
13. Danza de las Brujas II
Approx. 19 minutes
| Brujas del Mar (CD) | 2006 | psycheDOOMelic |
A while back Reino produced a remarkably professional full-length demo, complete with custom artwork, that still stands as one of the best I've ever heard. They mixed a wide variety of instruments and moods into a heavy riffing doom framework overlaid with female vocals that really worked, and in doing so impressed just about everybody who heard it. The musicianship and songwriting were far beyond the norm; how ironic to think that there are musicians of such ability struggling in the Peruvian underground while folks with far less talent get the big bucks in the northern hemisphere. But then, playing doom of any variety is not about getting rich.
Ideally it's about honest expression, and those that were into the group's eponymous CD will be happy to learn that all the things that made it a success are back with 'Brujas del Mar' ("Witches of the Sea"). The mandolin strumming, the doomy power chords, the light and the dark are all here, only a bit heavier and harder than before. They move effortlessly between moods, frequently in the same song. 'Curandero De Una Realidad Incierta' opens with a doomy riff St. Vitus or Acid King would be proud of, with vocalist Tania Duarte going a bit more over the top than she has before, combining Lori Acid King doominess with distorted old crone singing that sounds like ole' Meg Knuklebones from the classic Ridley Scott film 'Legend'. 'Voragine' is a hard rocker with a doom chorus and some fine guitar playing, while 'Magdalena' has a pretty, acoustic vibe which seems to rise like a vision straight out of the Pacific Ocean to hover high above Peru's Andes mountains. But pounding doom is never far away; 'Crepuscular' and 'Hoy, La Tarde' are excellent cases in point.
So what influences add up to a sound like this? Try Sabbath, Pentagram, St. Vitus, Celtic Frost, Witchcraft and Acid King added to a solid foundation in the classics composed of the likes of Budgie, Tull, and Motorhead, then add in a host of Peruvian bands you've never heard of. Hell, even the cover (by bassist Marcos Coifman) adds to the effect, with it's aquatic brujas swimming languidly through the sea like doomed Modiglianis. The fact is, this music also conveys a sense of spirituality and freedom, feelings that no list of musical influences could accurately describe. For that, you'll just have to get the disc for yourself. Let's doom!
1. Intro: La Corte
2. Curandero De Una Realidad Incierta
3. Voragine
4. Elipses
5. Alajpacha
6. Crepuscular
7. El Fauno
8. Hoy, La Tarde
9. Oraculo
10. Rosas del Reves
11. Oceania
12. Magdalena Del Mar
Approx. 59 minutes