Caceria humana

For several decades, Paraguay would see one of the longest single-regime rules in all of Latin America under the grip of Alfredo Stroessner. However, the year 1989 would see his overthrow, ushering in a new face for the first time since 1954, with much of the bloodshed taking place right in Asunción. What was also taking place in Asunción was the release of Caceria Humana, the second demo of the violent thrashers Rawhide, who had been around since 1983. A fitting feeling for the environment, this is a surprisingly comprehensive taste of aggressive, South American thrash that has a pretty strong ear for hooks despite its discomforting aura.

What separates Rawhide from its peers is the fact that there's hardly even a lick of anything blackened or overly extreme in their delivery outside of a coarse, degraded production that was clearly due to recording conditions. Vocally, it almost fits in more with the crossover angst of the U.S.A.'s Sacred Reich, cranking out shouted passages that give a hint of grit but can feel poetic. Moreover, as strong as the riffs are with carrying rhythm, the bass here is one of the shining stars, often wrestling the guitars for the forefront. Perhaps at times it feels messy, but one could argue that it adds to the charm, as pummeling passages fight each other for a fairly vicious onslaught.

As a little disclaimer, the YouTube video that I listened to this on did not order the songs the same way they're ordered on this website (I don't know which is correct), and thus I had a hell of a time laying out the standouts and organizing what I wanted to say. The good news is the fact that there are standouts at all with this type of thing. The title track is one of my favorites, giving little pockets of calm before the erupting speeds kick in, potentially being some of the fastest on the entire demo, leaving room for explosive drum kicks and disoriented screeches. However, opener "Intro / Apocalipsis" did an amazing job with setting the tone with stronger leads, and the shorter tracks that make up the rest of the album capitalize on this. The instrumental "Rawhide" especially focuses on this, feeling like a steadier mosh-friendly banger.

Despite how extreme much of South America's metal scene was in the '80s, Caceria Humana flexed some muscles more representative of their North American counterparts. Instead of going for the blackened or death/thrash coating, this felt more in line with a very early Testament demo, covering that influence with a rough and tough atmosphere. This isn't anything overly groundbreaking, and its shorter length still did leave room for a bit of meandering. With that in mind, this still sits as one of my favorite spins in my latest South American adventure.