Review Summary: A stoner punk shotgun blast to the head.
See those jaws on the cover? Imagine them biting your chest like a shark torpedoing out of the water and sinking you forever in the deep blue sea. That's the feeling a few seconds after Anx, guitar grinder and main screamer of explosive Spanish stoner punk duo Bala, whispers the first words that introduce
Maleza, the band's fiery debut on Century Media and their third album overall if my eyes don’t deceive me. The album is short and fulminating, like a shotgun blast at point blank, with tracks like "Hoy No" spewing venomous rock anthemics in the language of Quevedo, or "X" making the band rail down brakeless down a hardcore punk rollercoaster of frenetic d-beats and crushing riffs. Anx's guitar tone hits unfathomable low tones, crunchy and chunky as it should be, while V's intense drumming provides the necessary punch with every hit. As vocals go, both girls shred their lungs out on every word, with a few exceptions, like the phantasmagoric intro of "Quieres Entrar", while channeling a myriad of influences, from Nirvana in a cut like "Rituals", to Melvins, Hellacopters, and Kvelertak in "Mi Orden" or "Bessie", or even more recent and rising bands like Brutus in some of the more hardcore-oriented parts. Essentially,
Maleza is an absolute wonder for those that like their rock'n'roll without sugar, as the duo show what they are able to create with only a couple of minutes per track, a heavily smashed drumkit and an evil-toned guitar, with the addition of their throat ripping singing spicing up the distortion mayhem with some really memorable hooks. One hell of a surprise for those craving some good ol' stoner rock with bits of punk, hardcore and grunge added to the mix. Bite the bullet!
