Cabrakaän – Aztlán

One of the older releases landed on my desk relatively recently, but I can not just store it without telling a few words about it. Thus, I’m talking of Cabrakaän and their 2023 full-length entitled Aztlán. For those of you unfamiliar with this band, I can tell Cabrakaän is a Mexican folk metal band formed in Toluca in December of 2012, by Marko Cipäktli (drums/vocals) and Pat Cuikäni (clean vocals). Apart from these two, the line-up who worked together in creation of Aztlán were Alex Navarro (lead/rhythm guitar) and David Saldarriaga Tobón (bass/acoustic guitar).

This award-winning quartet is playing a symphonic folk metal with deep Latin roots. In other words; they’re make a perfect blend of heritage and heaviness. Aztlán (Aztlán is called the home of the Aztecs!) tells different stories from Mexican history, as you will see in the lyrics and track listing below:

1. Tonantzin

2. Fuego

3. Tlaloc

4. Luces y Sombras

5. Malintzin

6. Mictlán

7. Yolot

8. Xóchitl

9. La Cigarra

10. Mictlán (English version)

11. Fuego (English version)

12. Luces y Sombras (English version)

This theme plays a role in both the lyrics and the music, making this album truly something special, or at least something I’ve never heard anything like that before. Musically, there are many complex elements on Aztlán and a lot of different styles are being incorporated, ex. percussion, a lot of orchestration (including a live string ensemble), organs, traditional Mexican folk instruments and different styles are being incoroprated in their sound. It makes Aztlán feels lively, coherent and interesting record that I’m sorry that I didn’t descovered before.

To some extent Aztlán consists of equal folk, operatic and metal parts. The first few tracks are big, bombastic and epic, while one can hear some surprising changes in songs like “Fuego” and “Tlaloc”. Speaking of “Fuego”, apart from the opening sound of birds, it also features some harsh ‘metal’ vocals a little after the three-minute mark. In general, I find the vocals of the female lead singer, Patrizia Cuikäni, very warm and present – becoming the greatest advantage of this opus.

All tracks are impressive and equally strong indeed, but “Tlaloc” and “La Cigarra” are another stand-out tracks for me. “Tlaloc” is more of a dark death metal piece with a riff-based guitar under the strong harsh (occasionally operatic!). On the other hand “La Cigarra”, a cover of Linda Ronstadt, is probably the strongest song here, as I think it perfectly showcases the sheer diversity of this band.

To encapsulate; Aztlán is not a traditional death/black metal album, but it’s quite incredible, diverse and well sounding musical journey into rich Mexican/Latin musical and historical tradition. Check the album Aztlán now at bandcamp or watch the vodeo for “Mictlán” below.