SARCOMA

SARCOMA     “Ponzoňa”

By Dr. Abner Mality

Not to be confused with the long defunct thrash band SARCOMA from my hometown of Rockford, IL, this bunch is from Ecuador and have trod the Earth for about 20 years. They play a decidedly modern brand of crunchy death metal that owes a lot to “Chaos A.D.”-era SEPULTURA, early FEAR FACTORY and those masked NarcoSatanists BRUJERIA. So don’t expect OSDM in the vein of MORBID ANGEL, DEATH and BOLT THROWER.

SARCOMA run kind of hot and cold on “Ponzoňa”.The best tracks come early. “Frente al Abismo”, the first, might just be the best. The slower breakdown in this one could cause asphalt to buckle with its simple but effective heaviness. The resemblance to BRUJERIA is unmistakable, but there’s not a ton of metal out there in that vein, so that’s not a big deal. They toss in a lot of “zoop” guitar tweaks and some ice cold textures as well. The drummer is playing for keeps and the singer could be Juan Brujo’s brother. “Ahoy voy Yo” ups the tempo to thrash place and delivers Latin aggression.

“Ponzoňa” is a short album with clipped, compact songs, but by the end of the album, I feel it drags as SARCOMA’s attack starts to sound quite predictable. Tracks like “Sucio Carbon” and “Reinos Fallidos” are heavy enough but just kind of exist. By the time the last song “Vuelve a Creer” finishes up with a dull synth wash, you are ready to move on. The talent is definitely present and the actual sound is good, but the songwriting is not distinct enough to enter classic realms. Hopefully they can put it all together next time out…

SARCOMA