'Saga Bélica' is not only the latest album from Mexican death metallers Cenotaph, but also the last ever. After recording this, their 4th full length album the band disbanded. Drummer Oscar "Buke" Clorio is the only original member from Cenotaph's early days, who plays on this record, and Edgardo Gonzáles on vocals is also familiar for the band's followers.

And guess what has happened to tenebrous death metal of the yore? Yes, the band decided to leave it to dwell in the past. On this album Cenotaph perform thrashing death metal. 'Saga Bélica' ("War Saga" in English) is a straight metal attack without any too complicated procedures. Musically this is much more straightforward and very much different when comparing this to the band's past works. This possesses a true metal spirit, but the music is mostly quite unoriginal. Tight riffing itself isn't straightforward at all and there's a lot of leads and solos thrown in, not to mention screaming and shrieking guitars! At times, the music reek of old Swedish death metal, on the other times it's more thrashing in North American style, but generally there's many different stylings of death/thrash from around the world knitted together. Playing is good throughout the album and above all, energetic. The vocalist Edgardo Gonzáles screams and shouts a lot, and at times he utilizes his growl. His pronunciation of English is quite bad. Lyrics are about war and about praising metal music and lifestyle.

This was recorded in Germany with producer Harris Johns (Sodom, Krisiun etc.). Balancing of instruments has been ruined. Kick drum is too forward. It can be heard best while double bass drum work. But even worse thing is the sound of it! It's very sharp and compressed, like a machine. Yuck!!! Vocals are also too forward, because guitars are buried under them too much. The record sounds messy with my speakers (at least on volume level I can use), but with earphones more is heard. Sadly those kick drums, too! Cover art is inexplicable, but booklet's art is better; posing mamber pics, and lyrics are printed, which is good because of the vocalist's bad English pronunciation.

While there's spirit and energy, low originality level and shit production are this album's stumbling blocks. Especially the production. Thrashers and deathheads are welcome to check 'Saga Bélica' out, though, as the originality nowadays is so rare anyways. And remember, this is nothing like their murky past. Hellish metal attack! RIP.

Rating: 7- (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
09/03/2002 00:17