Selaicnetsixe samgidarap

Coming from Colombia, here you've got South America's version of Ulver. Except that Apolions Genocide is MUCH weirder. The similarities with Bergtatt are there, in the ethnic influences and contrasts between harsh and soft sounds, but Apolions Genocide has so much of the culture flowing through that it seems as though if it were not played with guitars and harsh vocals, then it would clearly be folk music. That is not to say that there is nothing metal about this, because it really does have a harsh edge to it, and the fact that it just FEELS obscure.

The whole album feels like a concept album, with one song flowing into another, and you really feel as though you are listening to one single piece of music. Passages are rarely repeated, as well, and each movement flows perfectly into the next. Ha! Take that, Opeth! And the musicianship on here is fucking tight, not a single note out of place.

I'm not sure what language all these lyrics are, but I can't make out a damn thing, so it's probably not Spanish. The vocalist has a very bizarre vocal style that goes from grunting to this really nasally shriek, but once in a while he'll burst through with some clear singing. The guitarist is damn good, too. He may not shred any solos or do any really fast rhythms, but the riffs he uses feel quite like if Tony Iommi and Carlos Santana had a jam session after listening to Mayhem for a couple of hours. There's not a lot of guitar layering, but this guy really makes the most of his guitar, getting some pretty massive sounds out of it.

The drumming on here is easily a high point. You can tell that it may not have been the best equipment, but every bit of it is expertly used. There are definate Latino influences with the toms, little rolls here and there, much like Antonio Leon's performance on The Chasm's From the Lost Years.

Production is really basic, and I think this was recorded on a four track. You can certainly hear everything, but the drums sound kind of woody and thin, and the guitar lacks some punch. Still, this is really obscure shit, but certainly worth checking out if you can find it.