Tzompantli – Tlazcaltiliztli
Release Date: 6th May 2022
Label: 20 Buck Spin
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal, Doom Metal.
FFO: Grave, Disembowelment, Morbid Angel, Spectral Voice.
Review By: Rick Farley
A Tzompantli, in bygone days, was a rack used to display human skulls, often of enemies or human sacrifices in several Mesoamerican civilizations. Its precise etymology is uncertain, but the general interpretation is ‘skull rack’ or ‘wall of skulls.’ The tower may seem grisly to modern eyes, but Mesoamericans viewed the ritual sacrifice that produced it as a means of keeping the gods alive and preventing the destruction of the universe. It was also obviously used to strike fear in the hearts of enemies.
It seems fitting that Tzompantli is the name for this crushingly heavy Southern California Death Doom Metal band that’s built on the bedrock of native/indigenous themes, rituals and history. Formed in twenty nineteen, Huey Itztekwanotl o))) released the band’s first EP as a one-man band. Now joined with G-Bone handling bass and Erol Ulug on drums, Tzompantli are set to release their debut LP Tlazcaltiliztli on underground label 20 Buck Spin.
Musically, the band takes a unique focus of native/indigenous heritage and themes and then churns it up into a disgustingly brutal groove-based slab of OSDM. The guitars and bass are ugly, sludgy and distorted to the point where they become one giant mass of rhythmic bludgeoning. The riffs spit, snarl and stomp their way through the album like a thousand chainsaws coming at you all at once. It’s seriously grimy sounding, which makes the bits of layered harmony and clean guitar parts that much more impactful when the barbaric riffs hit again. If you were to take the mid paced savage bounce of Scourge of Iron, the unabashed groove of Eaten and the nastiness of Where the Slime Live, tune everything down, slow the pace somewhat, and rub some dirt all over it, that’s kind of what you’re getting on this album. There are breaks of sombre doomy guitar harmonies, acoustics and incorporating the use of native and indigenous folk instruments that breaks things up a bit.
A huehuetl drum circle, death whistles, teponaztli drums, shells and shakers combined with the brutal grooves keeps it all very tribalistic and rhythmic. The main drums blast ferociously, bludgeon with double bass and generally keep a steady primal beatdown of a pace. The slower parts are played with precision and restraint, increasing the dynamics to savage anguish. Vocally, the growls are deep and cavernous. The occasional bellow, howl or yell call out like a warrior warning his approaching enemies. The production is gritty and raw, but has great clarity. Everything is skilfully woven into a bludgeoning framework of spine severing heaviness.
Unfortunately, the album comes in at seven tracks with only a play time of thirty-two minutes and fifty seconds. Which, in my opinion, is selling the consumer a little short. Technology is so much more advanced and cheaper than it’s ever been. Another song or another five minutes would not be that big of a difference financially. Considering two of the songs are instrumentals, good ones mind you, but that’s basically twenty-seven minutes of traditional songs with vocals. Some bands EPs are that long. For my money, that’s just not going to work. It obviously doesn’t hurt the quality of the music, but it’s a serious let-down.
The band states, Tlazcaltiliztli is a ritual ceremony that translate to; ‘nourishing the fire and sun with blood’, is dedicated to and an offering, to the indigenous peoples, nations of the North, South, East and West of the American continents. Just thought that was cool and should be included. In the end this is a very solid release that will please the hearts of those that love some stomping Death Metal, incredibly heavy and sometimes doomy, Tzompantli is a band to watch out for, and I’m assuming would be a brutally good time live. 
(3.5 / 5)
