Review Summary: Admittedly fun to listen to, this is a mildly inventive nu metal debut for Puya, straight from the heart of Puerto Rico.
Among the contributing factors of the decline of nu metal were angst-ridden lyrics, primitive power chord-laden guitar riffs and a tendency for the songwriting to be mediocre or even terrible. These were also the things that made it popular while it was in its prime in the late 90s and early 00s, but it quickly became apparent that nu metal was just a phase as its popularity dwindled out as other musical trends remained prominent. Now, that is a generality, because like any genre, nu metal had its fair share of talented bands that in addition to being highly regarded among their peers at the time, proved to transcend their times with music that can still hold its own today. While the percentage of bands that fall into that category is pretty small, there were a few that maybe weren’t in that small group, but had something that set them apart from the rest of the genre. Puerto Rican natives Puya created a few ripples in the sea of nu metal mediocrity in 1999 with their festive debut
Fundamental.
Album opener “Oasis” introduces the listener to the world of Puya with a tom-heavy beat and heavy yet subdued riffing, and eventually explodes into the song’s main riff. It’s heavy, catchy and energetic as hell, but it’s pretty standard nu metal fair. Then it all drops out for the verse, and when the Latin percussion and Spanish vocals come in the mood is instantly changed. And it works. How well it works here is fortunately an indicator of the entire album; the transitions between the metal and the Latin parts are almost always smooth, which helps the changes in mood not seem abrupt or random. These guys are good at what they do, so the album’s consistency actually holds up pretty well until the end. Alternating between heavy parts and Latin parts isn’t all there is to
Fundamental however.
When the band plays a Latin passage, it isn’t always the same thing; there are variations in rhythms and even styles. Puerto Rico is their home after all, so as musicians it can only be expected for them to be skilled in that arena. These sections range from additional percussion and/or Spanish vocals to support the existing beat (as in “Oasis”) to being an all-out salsa number (the majority of “Solo”) to converging with the traditional instruments in the band like the guitars and bass to create a festive conglomeration of a rhythm (the verses of the title track). Usually when a heavier section comes the lyrics revert back to English, and the majority of the Spanish lyrics are utilized during the Latin parts, perhaps in an effort to not lose the authentic feel. This isn’t always the case; the languages are sometimes interchangeable regardless of what the music is doing, so that helps keep it interesting. The Latin elements are executed very well, and add a dimension to the band’s musicianship.
There are a few songs that are either almost or completely metal, and being on a nu metal record, these songs feel outdated in comparison with the others. “Sal Pa' Fuera”, for example, has a typical nu metal foundation built with aggressive but primitive drumming and guitar work and shouted vocals. The song gets too repetitive for its own good and ends up being obnoxious as well as showing the album’s age. It’s not that Puya can’t play nu metal, they can, but it’s only when they add their own flair that they truly shine; if all the Latin elements were to be taken out, the album is average at best, and even poor at some points due to the relatively shallow nature of (this) nu metal. The harsh vocals aren’t anything special either. They’re not necessarily bad, but they’re just yelled in a fashion typical of nu metal and it’s underwhelming, and even annoying at points. The sung vocals are better, and the vocalist definitely seems more comfortable doing them. This band wanted to take their own style and bring it into the nu metal world after all, so naturally they’re going to seem more comfortable when they’re singing and playing salsa than when they’re yelling and playing metal. Again, the metal here isn’t bad, but it’s average, and it’s simply inferior in execution to the Latin elements.
During the heavier moments that have the band’s signature twist is where they really shine, because instead of just proving they can play their inherited music or just playing metal, it’s these moments that show their true talent, playing metal with an original approach. It’s too bad there weren’t more of these moments because it’s really the best thing about the album; there’s not a whole lot of it in comparison with the two main sounds of the band being played exclusively.
In the end,
Fundamental does leave an impression, so its goal is somewhat accomplished. Although the album is original in its own right, there were other bands such as Sepultura and Soulfly doing similar things before Puya was around. They do expand on the Latin element however, as it is a much more prominent part of this band. Puya had a good thing going here, but I’m afraid that ultimately, it wasn’t groundbreaking enough to stand the test of time that most nu metal bands have failed.
