💀 💀 💀 Blue Hummingbird On The Left (USA) "Atl Tlachinolli" (2019) 💀 💀 💀
(Black Metal) "Aztec Black Metal"
The union of fire and water, bringing forth the sacred war.
War chapter of the Black Twilight Circle brings life once more to the forgotten words and stories of the warriors of the past. Indigenous instruments flow like water alongside the fiery force of pagan black metal. Hymns of war, odes to the lords. Hail Huitzilopochtli! Hail Tlaloc!
IRON BONEHEAD PRODUCTIONS, in conspiracy with Nuclear War Now! Productions and Crepúsculo Negro, is proud to present BLUE HUMMINGBIRD ON THE LEFT's long-awaited debut album, Atl Tlachinolli, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.
Rleased December 10, 2018
https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/blue-hummingbird-on-the-left-atl-tlachinolli
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Review to this release from site Metal-Archives :
At last! Debut from Black Twilight Circle band out from underground - 80%
(c) NausikaDalazBlindaz, February 21st, 2019
At last after so many years since their formation back in 2010, and while fellow Black Twilight Circle bands like Arizmenda and Volahn were busy issuing plenty of recordings (some of them albums but mostly demos and split recordings), Blue Hummingbird on the Left finally released their debut album "Atl Tlachinolli" in 2019 on the Iron Bonehead Productions label. This represents a big advance into the alternative metal mainstream since up until now most BTC bands were releasing work on the Crepusculo Negro label. We can hope that IBP might find other BTC bands' work worth releasing since (to be honest) BHOTL are not one of the more interesting acts in this scene, playing fairly straightforward raw BM compared to the other bands that play fusion extreme BM psychedelia.
In keeping with the BTC aesthetic of honouring the bands' indigenous Mexican heritage, BHOTL introduce their album with instrumental whistling flute and drum music before throwing themselves and listeners straight into their maelstrom of fusion BM thrash and native Mexican musical elements. Track titles suggest the musicians are keen on exploring those aspects of Aztec mythology that revolve around the cycle of life, death and rebirth, and how aspects of Aztec life - even the ritual sacrifices that horrified the Spanish conquistadores back in the 1500s and which gave them an excuse to crush Aztec culture by representing it as cruel, bloodthirsty and savage - can be explained by the mythology. The singing is hard to follow - it's like a mix of alien reptile voices that echo and which seem to run into each other - and the music is dense, busy and fast, so listeners should just treat the vocals as another layer (though a significant one) in the music and follow the whole flow of rhythm, melody and singing as the one entity it all is. Compared to what I heard of BHOTL's last release "Bloodflower" which was back in 2013 (what, that long ago?!), the music here has a very clean and clear production, every instrument can be heard clearly, the sound overall is heavy and meaty if not raw and sharp, and the presentation is very professional.
In the first half of "Atl Tlachinolli", BHOTL don't stray far from their melodic blackened death metal style, concentrating on banging up a dense layered storm of tremolo guitar, heavy grinding bass and hard-hitting percussion topped off by those demonic gabbling vocals. While there are passages of instrumental indigenous music, these aren't integrated with the BM songs. If the band had included some flute music as part of their BM style, the songs here could have had distinct identities. As it is, the melodies and riffs aren't individual enough, nor are they repeated enough, to set the songs off from each other.
But listeners should hang in on there, as after the halfway point or the fifth song "Rain Campaign", the music goes into another realm that almost seems prehistoric, as the musicians start pouring in everything they've got and the derangement that I always associate with BTC bands starts appearing in the music and the singing. Now the guys are really going out on every limb they can find and cut down (while they're still hanging off it!) and going into the abyss. Going from "Life Death Rebirth" into "Tenochtitlan", BHOTL balance on a tightrope between melodic restraint and running off on a melodramatic tangent that features some searing lead guitar runs. They keep going with forays into extreme blast-beat aggression and solid chunky blackened death war metal (at last the guys manage to fit in war flute trills in amongst the battery of guitars and drums) all the way to the end.
The album ends on a real high though some listeners might wish the band could have been just as intense and extreme in the first half of the album as in the second half. Though I guess in keeping with the recording's concept, the music needs to work steadily, as in a ritual, up to that critical point where the consciousness can become transformed and the musicians find release and freedom only after reaching that state. But even after achieving transformation, the musicians still seem to be restrained in how far they can go, as the songs are not very long and the instrumental sections whiz by all too fast. I'd have loved to hear more extended tracks in this part of the album, where the guys can be let loose on playing emotionally intense music.
Here's wishing Blue Hummingbird on the Left success with this debut and Iron Bonehead Productions signing up more BTC bands to its roster.
https://www.metal-archives.com/
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Band: Blue Hummingbird on the Left
Country of origin: United States
Location: Southern California
Status: Active
Formed in: 2010
Genre: Black Metal
Lyrical themes: Mexica, Huitzilopochtli War Culture
Current label: Iron Bonehead Productions
Years active: 2010-present
Belongs to the Black Twilight Circle.
The name of the band is the translated name of the Aztec god "Huitzilopochtli".
Discography:
Bloodflower EP 2010
Debajo del Simbolo del Sol Split 2014
Camino de guerra Split 2018
Atl Tlachinolli Full-length 2019
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Track Listing:
1. Sun / War Club 04:42
2. Blood Flower 02:55
3. Precious Death 04:30
4. Hail Huitzilopochtli 03:51
5. Rain Campaign 05:45
6. Life Death Rebirth 04:41
7. Tenochtitlan 03:03
8. Storm 03:11
9. Southern Rules Supreme - Moon 03:46
Total Length: 36:24
Line-up:
Tlacaelel - Flute, Vocals
Yecpaocelotl - Guitars (lead)
Yayauhqui - Drums, Guitars (rhythm)
Hector Wolf - Bass
Coapahsolpol - Bass
Released by Iron Bonehead, Nuclear War Now! Productions and Crepúsculo Negro.
Released December 10, 2018
Bandcamp - https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/blue-hummingbird-on-the-left-atl-tlachinolli
Metal-Archives - https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Blue_Hummingbird_on_the_Left/
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