Alda - "Passage" (2015)

Alda - "Passage"

Year: 2015
Genre: Black Metal, Blackened Crust, Hardcore
Country: United States

Track List:

1. The Clearcut
2. Passage
3. Weather
4. The Crooked Trail
5. Animis

bandcamp

The album begins with their first track, The Clearcut which has the noise ambience of crickets followed by guitar strumming. The guitars entangle into their own chorus until a dramatic pause followed by guitar plucking reminiscent of Central American folk which is joined by beautiful singing, not only from the male singer but the female as well. You are sucked into an absolutely beautiful album and know it at this point. I was hesitant, but I already was thinking "this is a five star album" to myself already. The song then makes a dramatic pause to accelerate into power chords and screaming lyrics of despair and desperation.

Their second track, Passage begins under the cover of rainfall with an absolutely brilliant, dark and sombre strumming mixed with power chords that leads to somewhat accelerated power chords and screaming that churns your soul. Their third track, Weathering is quite sombre and darkly appealing that builds up with a slight intensity that subtly maintains that attractive sombreness and darkness. Their fourth track begins with water ambience noise and softly builds up folksy guitar strumming, which is very beautiful as well in a calming manner. Their last track Animis begins with barking puppy noise ambience followed by a build-up of strong screaming, but not over-fiercely met with too strong of guitar strumming and power chords throughout the rest of the song. Absolutely a new favourite album of mine and obviously a five star strong album! *****!

Aztra - "Acústico en Vivo" (2010)

AZTRA "Acústico en Vivo"

Year: 2010
Genre: Acoustic Folk / Native American Folk Metal
Country: Ecuador
Label: Discos Florencia

Track List:

1. Amor Bajo El Sol
2. Un Largo Andar
3. Lamento
4. Compañera
5. Octubre 18 (junto a Paola Villacís)
6. Alturas
7. Sin Opción
8. El Mañana
9. Carula (bonus)
10. Manifesto (Victor Jara - bonus)

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This live album is the most recent release by Aztra. It consists mostly of acoustic versions of their older songs, but there also are a few new tracks, and a cover version of "Manisfesto" by Victor Jara. Track #5 has female vocals, and its name is a reference to the infamous events of 10 October 1977 on the sugar factory "AZTRA" (hence the name of the band), when the striking workers were massacred by the government forces.

The music is also strongly influenced by indigenous American folklore and mythology. Interesting enough, many of South American leftist rebel groups pay much homage to Native American beliefs too. For example, there was a guerilla movement in Peru called Movimiento Revolucionario Túpac Amaru (MRTA), whose name is a reference to a legendary indigenous Peruvian freedom fighter Túpac Amaru II. Revolutionary groups like Partido Comunista de Ecuador - Sol Rojo ("Communist Party of Ecuador – Red Sun") and Sendero Luminoso ("Shining Path") are also known for assuming their ideological leader, Abimael Guzman, to be an incarnation of Red Sun god ("Puka Inti" in Quechua). It's worth noting that PCE-SR and Sendero Luminoso are far more authoritarian than MRTA, and SL have got a very bad name in Peru because of their brutality. There was also a rebel group in Ecuador called "Alfaro Vive, Carajo!", whose name can be translated as "Alfaro Lives, Dammit!", and refers to Eloy Alfaro, a progressive Ecuadorian president murdered by religious fanatics in early 1912. In the popular imagination of Ecuadorians, the name Alfaro is synonymous with rebellion (though Alfaro himself wasn't a socialist, just a radical liberal and a strong opponent of the church). The first action of AVC, when they broke into a museum and stole swords which had been used by Eloy Alfaro, was rather a symbolic magical action than a political one.

Corubo & Tremor - "Ancestral Metal" (split, 2009)

CORUBO / TREMOR "The End of Sorrow / Guarani Oporonhenói Gueteri"

Year: 2009
Genre: Black Metal, Native American Folk Metal
Country: Brazil / Colombia

Track List:

Tremor

1. Pakal
2. Denial
3. The Hunting
4. Wisdom
5. Manifest

Corubo

1. Guarani Oporonhenói Gueteri
2. Oñembyesaráiva
3. Hosãva
4. Kuarahy Osemba Rire
5. Amana

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I already have introduced Corubo to you, and here's their split album w/ the Colombian band named Tremor. Looks like Tremor shares a simular ideology with Corubo, but they play very different type of BM.

Corubo - "Ãngy Mbya Kueíry Hachypáma, Opa Mba'e Achy Avei" (2009)

CORUBO "Ãngy Mbya Kueíry Hachypáma, Opa Mba'e Achy Avei"

Year: 2009
Genre: Black Metal, Native American Folk Metal
Country: Brazil

Track List:

1. Oheja Ñandéve, Ñanderekópeguarã, Mba'e Ivaíva
2. Ãngy Mbya Kueíry Hachypáma, Opa Mba'e Achy Avei
3. Esperança Obscura
4. Sapy'ánte Pyharevove
5. Ñorairô Rekorekávo
6. As Coisas Recomeçam Por Seu Fim
7. Mombyryeterei Che Rendarãgui
8. Yma Guaré Ñe'ê

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"INDIGENOUS BLACK METAL, an idea that began between 1999 and 2000, it's not a Viking metal, not Nordic, not Satanic, not Nazi (anti), not NS (anti), but something with own origin and culture, something new and personal. The indigenous culture is almost extinct, many people see the indigenous peoples as something negative, or see with proud the real people from the country, the same country as almost exterminated them. But many people resist, as Corubo. The fact of living in an self environment, without laws, freedom, alone, in cooperation and respect, while in action against anything that destroys this ideal, brings us identification. We don't have nothing against cultures of other regions, but many, as the European culture that is highly exploited, its people are giving up their freedom by name or honor of a king, of a flag, of a law, of a race (even though exist only one: the human).
IN ACTION FOR FREEDOM, AGAINST POLITICS, NATIONALISM AND FRONTIERS!"


This is a self-description of Corubo, a band from Brazil who sings in Guarani (if I correctly identified the language). Yes, not only Aztra are playing left-leaning indigenous metal! Corubo's sound is really original and innovative, I haven't heard anything like that before. By the way... it's only me, or the middle part of 2nd track on this album is really simular to "The Sacred War"?

I found this band due to Critical Rupture blog. It was made by an Australian who's interested in all kinds of environmentalist, eco-anarchist and nature-inspired black metal. You can find a lot more of indigenous metal on his blog, and I'd agree with him that the message of Corubo is obviously anti-colonial, ecological, and anarchistic.

Aztra - "Memoria" (2008)

AZTRA "Memoria"

Year: 2008
Genre: Heavy/Folk Metal
Country: Ecuador

Track List:

1. Gritos del Sur
2. Jatarishun
3. Carula
4. Forjando Libertad
5. Alturas (Inti-Illimani)
6. Combatir
7. El Mañana
8. Tierra Libre
9. Sin Opcion
10. Insurreccion
11. Amor bajo el Sol
12. Grito de Pilaga (Malon cover)
    

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The 4th and the latest up-to-date album by the Ecuadorian revolutionary metal band Aztra consists mostly of the new versions of their old songs. Even if you didn't like some of these songs on their earlier albums, it's certainly worth listening. There are some ballads, and the vocals are male (just line on "Raices"). If you're new to Aztra, feel free to start from this album.


myspace / official site

Aztra - "Raices" (2007)

AZTRA "Raices"

Year: 2007
Genre: Heavy/Folk Metal
Country: Ecuador

Track List:

1. Prólogo
2. El Camino del Sol
3. Las Cuatro Partes de Este Mundo
4. Dinastía Entre las Nubes
5. Lamento
6. Gritos de Guerra
7. Amor Bajo el Sol
8. Un Largo Andar
9. Lago de Sangre
10. Alma de Jaguar
11. Sin Empezar
    

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An epic heavy/folk metal band Aztra is here again, with their 3rd album "Raices" (which means "Roots", I believe). This album, in my opinion, is significantly better than "Insurgente". Maybe it's not an excellent release, but it's definitely very good for any fan of melodic heavy metal. Check out the track "Lago de Sangre", one of the best songs by Aztra. I can't understand much of the lyrics, but they're apparently based on the folklore of indigenous American people, and they're encouraging to fight for freedom. The vocals on this album are male, and their current singer is a good one.

Aztra - "Insurgente" (2006)

AZTRA "Insurgente"

Year: 2006
Genre: Heavy/Folk Metal
Country: Ecuador

Track List:

1. Intro
2. Insurrección
3. Gritos del Sur
4. Combatir
5. Atik Capari
6. Octubre 18
7. Sol Rojo
8. Relato Original de Víctor Jara (Speech)
9. Manifiesto
10. Sangre Obrera
11. Forjando Libertad
12. Sin Opción (New Version)
13. Tierra Libre (New Version) + La Internacional
    

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Looks like the lyrics on this album are much more explicitly political, when compared to previous album. But to be honest, musically it's my least favourite album by Aztra. Just like on "Tierra Libre", vocals are female, the songs are melodic but generally not too catchy. As far as I can understand, most of the lyrics are about revolution, socialism and the rights of native American people. And yes, Victor Jara isn't forgotten!

Aztra - "Tierra Libre" (2004)

AZTRA "Tierra Libre"

Year: 2004
Genre: Heavy/Folk Metal
Country: Ecuador

Track List:

1. Intro
2. Jatarishum
3. Sangre Fiel
4. Justicia y Libertad
5. Alturas (Inti Illimani Cover)
6. Aztra
7. Compañera
8. Puca Parari
9. Plegaria
10. Tierra Libre
11. Carula
12. Sin Opción

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And finally, here comes one of the best leftist metal bands from Latin America - Aztra. As far as I know, they're relatively well known in Ecuador and even in Spain, but not so well known outside the Spanish-speaking world. They're also one of a few bands who incorporate elements of Native American folk in their music. All the vocals on this album are female, and the music is very melodic.