Hocico- Memorias Atras

Artist: Hocico

Album: Memorias Atras

Label: COP International

Reviewer: Matthew J.

Date: 10-25-08

Mexican terror EBM legends Hocico skip the atmospherics in favor of a much more focused assault on their latest album. Eschewing the usual long, horror film-inspired introductions, "A Fatal Desire" starts things right off with hard-hitting kicks and chopped samples that pan back and forth across the stereo channels. "The Shape of Things to Come" is only marginally gentler, slowing down the tempo just a fraction but retaining the heaviness with harshly rasping vocals; the almost playful orchestral additions serve only to emphasize the song's apocalyptic feel. "Stop My Madness" slows down still more, but further establishes a grim, funereal atmosphere with bleak symphonic pads, while "Fed Up" launches right back into jackhammer drum machines, slickly slicing synth lines and heavily distorted vocals. There's still plenty of atmosphere on this album, for those who value EBM for the moods rather than the beats, but it's much more integrated into the actual song structures this time around. Instead of alternating periods of creepy ambience and dance floor aggression, each track feels more like a fully realized song, and even the instrumental offerings, like "Metamorphous," are totally club-worthy compositions in and of themselves, not just interludes between the hard stuff. The masters have done it again, so expect to hear plenty of Hocico in the clubs this year.

Visit www.hocico.com for more information.

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