A blackened metal band from Mexico,
Hacavitz frequently sing in a pre-Columbian language (possibly Nahuatl). On prior releases, they were more of a death metal band, playing in the style of early
Morbid Angel. On
Metztli Obscura, though, they're straight-up black metal, with ultra-trebly guitars, crude production, and a general loyalty to genre convention over innovation. The performances display a lot of passion, but there are some gaps in their skills; the drumming in particular seems to speed up and slow down more than the music demands. And as with most black metal, the songs are hard to tell apart; they pass by in a blur of screaming, fuzzed-out guitar and typewriter-like blastbeats. There's a bass boom here or there to perk the listener's ear up, but that's about it for sonic surprises. Total black metal obsessives will want this, as it's got fury on its side, but those with only a casual interest in the genre can easily take a pass. ~ Phil Freeman