Hocico

"Signos de Aberracion" (Album, 2002)

Having read a lot about these guys from Mexico I was curious to hear something by them. Now I've had the chance to digest these eleven tracks I'm still not entirely persuaded. Sure, there are some great moments and a couple of good tracks, but we've heard enough of this before, and to break out of the grumbling dark industrial mould is gonna take more than this offers up. Hocico do try hard but don't quite pull it off. Still, fans of :Wumpscut: should readily be attuned to the Hocico sound.

Pandemonium begins the album with samples from Ridley Scott's Legend, pianos and epic string arrangements will all sounds promising. This instrumental first song is close to the two Will albums, and I was keen for more. However, the second track Instincts of Perversion goes straight for the jugular, is competent but, like so much in this genre, is let down but cliched distorted vocals. Untold Blasphemies is typical of the dark EBM/industrial sound but undeniably effective with its beefy basslines and sequencers, and at times, Forgotten Tears could almost be VNV Nation, until those vocals come in again. The short instrumental Un Alma y el Vacio reminded me of John Carpenter's soundtrack to Halloween III: Season of the Witch. I can see why fans of the genre rate Hocico, because at least they are trying to push the scene forward whilst still retaining the trademark elements of the genre. If you generally like this sound then you'll probably love this more than I did. Okay, but hardly essential. 6/10

Rob Dyer