‘Han trazado para mí un destino de violencia y yo lo seguí sin resistencia. De quién es la culpa? Y quién dio la orden?’ (Quién Dio La Orden?) / ‘They have charted a course of violence for me, and I followed it without resistance. Whose fault is it? And who gave the order?’ (Who Gave The Order?)

Welcome to Operación Masacre, the debut album from Ayucaba, a band name derived from the Saint Death of Argentinian folklore.  Barcelona based, the band is drawn largely from the Latin American diaspora, including members of Muro and Inyeccion.  Now, if I’m honest, when I see the term punk-metal it tends to put me a little on guard.  Too often, it seems to be applied to projects that fail to sufficiently capture the specific strengths of either.  Those fears dissipate immediately, however, as Ayucaba tear into the blistering opening track, Sistema Siniestro (Sinister System).

Surging guitars with a viciously vibrant tone, a ferociously propulsive rhythm section, soaringly melodic Maideneque solos, and vocals that seethe from the demonically enraged to the ominously whispered, are marshalled to venomous effect.  And this deft blending of hardcore and metallic inspirations continues to shape the rest of the album with equal ferocity.  There is a complexity to the song structures and a drama to the execution that speaks to the latter, but never at the expense of the energy and velocity of the former.  The vocals similarly meld these competing influences – harshly hoarse yet still intensely expressive.

The finishing touch lies in the baleful atmosphere that infuses Operación Masacre and is embodied by the foreboding of the instrumental title track itself.  This bleakness reflects the lyrical focus on the slow violence endured by emigrant and working-class communities, one that wreaks a terrible toll in terms of broken bodies and minds.  And as they sweep from Sistema Siniestro to the bombastic fury of País Aniquilador (Annilihating Country), the scorching oscillations of Cocaina (Cocaine), and the forlorn melodicism of Distancia (Distance), anger and ambition prove deeply productive bedfellows.