Artist: Indoraza
Release Title: Sendero de Venado
Label: Independent
Release Date: 8 November 2021
Location: Huancayo, Peru
Digital Price: 7 EUR (6.80 USD)
Length: 23min 19s
Here at Cave Dweller Music we have, many times, been sent fantastic music from all over the world, and we have covered quite a few bands from South America before. It isn’t that often we have been able to cover indigenous bands from the Andes, and it is my pleasure to do so as I present Indoraza for your listening pleasure. Indoraza have actually been around for quite some time – they were originally founded in 1998 for the sole purpose of paying tribute to the indigenous folk of the Andes. In the years since, they have released four EPs and one full-length album. Today, I present to you the latest of those releases, the EP Sendero de Venado.
Indoraza are steeped in the culture and music of the indigenous people of the Andes that survived colonialism and genocide by the Spanish. From Huancayo, they add an interesting and valuable perspective to the world of metal, but most importantly they bring us some good old thrash/speed style metal, but with some indigenous musical influences, particularly in the instrumentation. That thrashy sound fits well with the frustrated, pissed off vibe that comes through sometimes, which makes sense because conflict is a big part of this band’s themes. That said, there are tracks like the closer Pirwalla that feel celebratory, with that thrashy aggression being channelled into a love for the culture that is the focus of Sendero de Venado.
Throughout we have a mixture of guitar, strings, and woodwind. Strings and guitars are the most prominent among them in the first half of the EP, and it isn’t until the fourth and fifth tracks that we really get those woodwinds coming through more prominently. When they do, it is to great effect, giving an immediately identifiable, distinctive Andean sound that complements some great riffage in Batallón N°10 and becomes the centrepiece of the joyful Pirwalla. There are a few minor elements that Indoraza could tighten up a little, but nothing worth getting into detail about. Overall, Sendero de Venado is a great release from a region that is rarely given the kind of exposure it has earnt. Hopefully Indoraza will have another album coming down the line, because they have a lot of potential, and a much-needed voice in the metal world to boot.
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