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CEMICAN U k’u’uk’ankil Mayakaaj”
CEMICAN U k’u’uk’ankil Mayakaaj”
By Dr. Abner Mality
Ethnic heavy metal has become a big deal in the last decade. We have ALIEN WEAPONRY from the Maori culture, SHEPHERD’S REIGN for Samoa, THE HU for Mongolia and NINE TREASURES for China. No longer is folk metal the domain of Europeans alone. Hailing from Mexico, CEMICAN pays tribute to the culture of the ancient Aztec people who inhabited the region.
This is all well and good, but at the end of the day, the quality of the music must stand for itself. And here I think CEMICAN has some problems. They are described by the label as “Aztec folk death metal”. The Aztec part is undeniable, the folk aspect is certainly present, but the death metal tag is highly questionable. Unless you consider “Roots”-era SEPULTURA to be death metal, which few do. CEMICAN indulges in a variety of metal styles, but primarily seems focused on heavy grooves mixed with traditional Aztec instruments and Spanish/Aztec lyrics. “Kukulkan Wakah Chan” and “Tan te le Xibalba” sure demonstrate this kind of groove. There’s a lot of native flute in each and it’s a prominent instrument throughout the album. By the end of the disc, I had had enough of this thin, reedy sounding instrument...but your mileage may vary. Best be prepared for a lot of it, though.
Surprisingly, there’s a strong power metal influence in some of the songs. “El Niño Que Contemplaba A Las Estrellas” could almost be a different band, with its clean vocals, upbeat melodies and big melodic chorus. It’s a jarring contrast to what has come before...it shows versatility, but it’s almost too much of a stylistic shift.
And there are a couple of tunes which are pure Aztec folk, full of tribal rhythms, chants and more of that flute. “Tak ti Ulaak lin” and “Bolom Octe” are the sheer folk tunes, which could have easily accompanied rituals of centuries ago. If you are hugely into authentic Aztec folk, this will work for you. If you’re into CEMICAN for the metal content, it’s nothing but distraction.
There is power and heaviness to be found here, but the songwriting is uneven. The exploration of Aztec culture is fascinating and visually, the band is striking even in this age of endless cosplay metal. But those looking for true pre-Columbian death metal are better referred to the likes of TZOMPANTLI. If you like ALIEN WEAPONRY and SHEPHERD’S REIGN type groove, you’ll enjoy CEMICAN the most.
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