Mundo de locos

Before the so called 'thrash revival' kicked in, there were quite a few bands worldwide playing thrash in the most unexpected of places. Omenomejodas originates from the land of olives and popular football clubs, not really a place you'd expect to find thrash metal bands. They showcase a brand of simplistic, punk based thrash which is rather enjoyable.

The vocals are the weakest point of the album. José María Heres has rather monotone voice most of the time. It's kind of gravelly and harsh. He manages to give out some cool, catchy vocal patterns but his tone is a bit of a turn off which can make enjoying the songs a bit of a pain. However, on some of the track, particularly 'No Mas Victimas', he proves that he can belt out some strong, powerful vocals. Why doesn't he use them more often? I can't say. There is a lot of canting and screaming which helps move things along and also keeps the songs catchy.

The guitar riffs are pretty much how you'd expect from a standard thrash band, albeit a bit more punk influenced. Sure, we have the tight gallops, licks and chugs but we also have some simple power chord progressions without any palm muting which remind me of some early 80s hardcore punk acts. The solos are pretty straightforward as well. Fast and energetic without any compromise. The drumming is nicely executed. Some simple beats are done very energetically with some aggressive fills to tie the beats together. Other than the notable bass intro in 'Chemical War', the first song, the bassist generally just lurks in the background and follows the the guitar or the drums.

This is a simple and fun album. Tons of hooks and catchy choruses, competent musicianship and aggressive songs. When they try to slow it down, however, the songs don't go anywhere. For example, 'El Innombrable' in slow most of the time and is an absolutely boring experience. But these moments are rather less as it usually stays speedy. Nothing spectacular, just a decent, entertaining thrash metal record.