“Satan, Satan, Satan, our Lord and Master
Satan, Satan, Satan, nuestro Señor y Maestro”
I have a theory.
Any worldwide city, town or province that’s tucked snugly between the latitudes of 35-37 degrees north will always have that ornate ability to produce a slaughtering brand of rock ‘n’ roll. Memphis (35.07N) Nashville (36.10N) Gibraltar (36.08N) –isn’t that where rock was invented?– and one I bet you never thought of, Oklahoma City. The original OC -but without all the pretty people- is a city perhaps best known for the god damn crosswinds on the I44 drive from Lawton where it’s a whole upper body workout just to keep your stupid biscuit tin of a Winnebago on the bitumen, rather than a pure bred r ‘n’ r haven.
I can see how this theory could be looking mighty flimsy under the featherweight of evidence presented henceforth, but I’m gonna stick with it anyway.
Here’s why.
Oklahoma City’s Los Eskeletos do things to me on many levels. Firstly, they scare the hell out of me. As someone who spends quite a bit of his time traversing the dubious language tightrope that we call Spanglish, the death rockers freak me the hell out in two languages. A multilingual, stereophonic nightmare. Go on, put the earbuds in. I dare ya. Anyone who isn’t petrified by a warped sounding exorcism of a freak woman declaring her undying faith to the Dark Lord in two languages coming at you from both channels is a stone cold zombie.
Secondly, the soundtrack to these declarations and sinisterisms is graveyard inducing. It’s horror rock that make the Misfits seem like just some cartoonish dream. The doomy overtones call an adrenalised bleakness that’s been piledriven by a lo fi, space rock body stone with a budget rock heart and a ghoul on a surfboard complexion. Or something like that.
Listen.
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Los Eskeletos have just released one of the killer r ‘n’ r albums of the decade called ‘Masa Negro’. From the alluring cover image –does it get any more rock ‘n’ roll than a sexy girl on her knees with a human skull between her legs?– through to the final noiseslaught of the abruptly ending final track ‘Orgen Asm’, the album oozes bondage dungeon sexuality, haunting imagery and sheer, predatory song craft.
But it ain’t all shock horror. Track 2 for example, the punky garage of ‘La Mano de Momias’ (The Mummy’s Hand) lends its chorus to singalong status…
“Beware of the Mummy’s Hand! Beware of the Mummy’s hand!”
…and contains an almost, dare I say anthemic, quality. Think Anti-Seen meets a swampier Didjits. Whatever it is, it’s a cracker.
Get stuck in.
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There is a scene bubbling in OC that never really seems to garner a mention among local and international press alike. Dating back many a moon to the legend of proto-noiserockers Debris through to their latest incarnation, acid twistoids Wicked Shimmies, the OC punk/garage rock scene has had more than its abundant fair share of straight up quality noise. And Los Eskeletos -their side project Fire Bad features Wicked Shimmies‘ Race Baker on Farfisa (a moody sounding organ perfect for an acid rock jam)- are an integral part of keeping this relatively hidden treasure alive and kicking. The band’s orgy of Sabbath infused doom rock, desert stoner, punk and garage with a twist of surf trash does a pretty damn good job of doing just that.
‘El Estribillo de la Mano de Momias’ shows us how.
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Make no mistake about it, Los Eskeletos are a serious contender. Adorned on stage in skeleton masks and Mexican wild west dead cowboy ghost threads, the band’s image is as instantly recognisable as their music is ominous. They’re a three-man tour de force, part Scooby Doo ghost villain, part slasher film blood splatter, part bastard children of Tony Iommi’s Gibson SG and Mexico’s Patron Saint of Holy Death, Santa Muerte. They’re just that damn good!
From go to woe, ‘Masa Negro’ has way too many highlights to mention. It’s a jam-packed forty minutes of ghoulish goodness with equal highlights that jump right out and slap you in the face combined with true, more subtle gems that one must concentrate to find. Rest assured, at a mere devilish $6.66 for a CD copy or a name-your-own-price digital download, purchasing ‘Masa Negro’ is a ten track value for money lesson in good accounting and money management. In stock parlons, it’s low risk, high reward. In music terms, it’s pure, unadulterated savagery. Win win.
Without a doubt, a major highlight of the dark journey that is ‘Masa Negro’ is the chug-a-lug of the fourth track ‘El Giro Santanismo’.
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Latitude 35.0078N is in good, bony hands.
Listen to Los Eskeletos on Bandcamp.
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Find Los Eskeletos on Tom Violence Media.