Hocico

I always like it when I come across an electronic/industrial act from parts other than the customary Germany, Belgium or the UK (give or take a few other countries). This duo is from Mexico, and who knew such dark sounds could come from a place where the sun is a permanent fixture and the seratonin flows like molasses in August. But these two show it is most certainly possible to maintain one's nihilistic fervour without eight months of cloud coverage. Opening the disc is a moody instrumental piece whose sound could group them in the same category as dark electro pioneers Das Ich. There is a lot to be said for the first few minutes of a record; it conveys the overall tone that the artists wish to establish and they set things up here nice and gloomy. Although there are moments like this interspersed throughout, the pace picks up to the typical spastic industrial dance momentum shortly after. Singing both in English and Spanish, some of the lyrics, which I'm sure are trying to fit the mould of having bleak content, couldn't help but make me chuckle, for example: "Crucify your lust/Lick the hanging cross," ("Untold Blasphemies"). Um, okay. "Child's Eternity," another instrumental number complete with string sections and French horn, blew me away on the other hand. Next time maybe they'll scrap the lyrics altogether, or at least keep them in their original Spanishif they're going to sound that silly.