Skip to content
What’s up Sorry Staters?
Is it the end of days? Seems like many people I know are currently dealing with difficulty in their personal lives, even beyond the horrifying news of the world. I’m only kind of joking, but the weather lately seems like a symptom of the universe. I seem to remember that I was talking about rain in the previous newsletter as well. This time, it’s no longer cute. With the way it’s been storming in Raleigh the last few days, the amount of water has amassed to biblical proportions. My apartment flooded. Luckily, no damage, but I will probably need a dinghy soon. A friend told me on the phone last night that Mercury’s not in Gatorade anymore, so hopefully we’ll see everything and everyone feel better soon.
How’s that for an opening? Let’s move on, shall we? Here’s my staff pick, which is a record I’m particularly excited about.
The debut vinyl release Operación Masacre by Ayucaba really snuck up on me. Released on Metadona Records, I was stoked that we could get a stack of copies for Sorry State. Before I get into the nitty-gritty and describe this record for all you fine readers, let me preface by saying that I feel certain this LP will be one of my favorite records of the year. What’s funny is that even before I knew a whole lot about this band, I randomly encountered most of the people in the band in my travels with Public Acid earlier this summer. A few of them were in Sheffield for Noise Annoys. Several of them were in Copenhagen for K-town Hardcore Fest. When we played in Barcelona, I went to an after-gig party at a bar where the bass player was DJing killer punk and dance tunes. But I still hadn’t heard this band yet. Pretty funny.
Here’s my underqualified, truncated band bio: For those that are unfamiliar, Ayucaba is based out of Barcelona. And while it may be corny to use this term, they’re kind of a supergroup of sorts. While they are based out of Barcelona and I’m sure all the members currently live there, a few people in the band relocated from South America. The singer Cromi I believe is from Argentina, and I remember her from previous bands like Inyeccion and Farmaco. One of the guitar players, Juan, relocated from Colombia, and I met him at Noise Annoys because he still plays as one of the two guitarists in Muro. The bass player Mateo is also from Colombia, but most of you readers will probably mainly know him from his artwork. He’s done the artwork for tons of record covers you might recognize over the years, including, more recently, the front cover artwork for the Plasma LP released on Sorry State. Funny how the punk world just seems smaller and smaller.
Apparently, an earlier incarnation of Ayucaba had similar members, but it was a different lineup. Mateo was originally the lead vocalist and Cromi played bass. They basically switched places. The band even released a demo cassette with Mateo singing a couple years back. I’m not sure exactly what the reason was for the two members switching their roles in the band, but to me, the current arrangement seems pretty damn cool the way it is.
Okay, now that I’ve gotten all that out of the way, I gotta say when I first heard this record it was on a YouTube upload, and it kinda blew me away. Firstly, I love the tone of the recording. It’s raw and organic, but not really noisy. It still sounds super thick and punchy, but the guitars have this grittiness and texture you can almost feel tingling your ears. It looks like someone from Rat Trap in Bogotá mixed and mastered the record as well, which makes sense because the sonic textures remind me of the Muro records. Ayucaba incorporates elements into their sound that are a bit metallic, but without sounding blatantly “metal.” The description of this LP from the label draws many comparisons to other bands that Ayucaba maybe kinda sounds like. I suppose I could hear the band drawing influence from heavier Japanese hardcore like mid-80s Execute or the motörized pace of G-Zet. Still, it’s difficult for me to pinpoint any particular vibe they’re specifically trying to imitate. I don’t think their goal is to capture or rip off any particular band’s style; it just feels like a genuine and powerful amalgamation of sound.
The first track on the record, “Sistema = Siniestro,” slowly fades in with this thunderous tom roll pattern on the drums, then the other instruments come chugging with an almost call-to-arms marching type rhythm. Then, ATTACK! The song erupts into this mid-paced crunchy riffing. Cromi has true character in her voice, sounding totally vicious. Seems like she’d be a magnetic and imposing front person. The song launches into a revved up, but groovy fast beat, and when I hear the vocals in a ghostly whisper chant “Sistema Siniestro,” it sends chills down my spine. I don’t think Ayucaba is scared to incorporate elements of experimentation or the bizarre, but this still doesn’t take away from the driving force and aggression.
This might sound weird, but Operación Masacre really feels like a proper album. Like, not just a random batch of killer riffs thrown together. Rather, a well-executed, thoughtfully structured, song-based punk-metal full-length which showcases all the band’s strengths. The structures of the songs ride a fine line between elegance and power. On a song like “Cocaina,” the intro reaches a moment where most of the instruments drop out. The drummer rolls on the hi-hat like steamroller, and the bass builds tension barreling on this killer riff. Then a long snare roll with rhythmically pulsing, hi-pitched guitar feedback grows even more intensity before it all explodes. But then, just when you think the speedy pace of the song will continue, they cleverly and unexpectedly break down into this slow beat with a repetitious melodic guitar lick over top. The lead guitar work is a primary feature of the band’s sound, often prominently loud in the mix. Somewhere between the acrobatic Maiden-esque melodicism versus overwhelming swirls of delayed-out psychedelia. Then sometimes downright gunslinging wah-wah rippage a la later-era English Dogs.
The band doesn’t shy away from sweeping, extravagant song arrangements. But also, nothing feels forced or jagged. Using the word “epic” feels a bit silly, but it feels like Ayucaba makes songs that are supposed to move the listener. It comes across as cathartic and powerful. Fists raised triumphantly in the air type shit. The title track on the record, “Operación Masacre,” is actually an instrumental. The track has this sinister, dark ritual kind of atmosphere, the drums just pounding on a plodding, entrancingly repeating groove with guitars chugging overtop before the guitar plays this circular riff and summons a sacrament of evil… Or I dunno, something like that. I got carried away there. Blacked out for a second. But it really sets a tone of tension and beckons anticipation for opening the B-side of the record.
Last but not least, the packaging on this record looks beautiful. Not unlike the Muro records, the sleeves look totally DIY with screen-printed artwork that looks super crisp. It comes with a huge foldout poster that includes the lyrics. Then finally, there’s also a striking red obi, all of which are hand-numbered out of 300 copies. You know nerds like me love that shit. Funny enough, the skull on the obi layout looks very similar to the Chaos Produzioni label logo. Maybe it’s no coincidence that I thought about drawing comparisons to later Wretched records like La Tua Morte Non Aspetta or the In Controluce 7”. Ayucaba is definitely not as bombastic or chaotic as Wretched, but I hear it in the melodic and powerful riffs.
Fuck man, even after drafting that lengthy, verbose description, I still feel like I have way more to say about this Ayucaba record. For me, it’s hitting all the marks. It looks badass. It sounds badass. And it feels like it was made with grace and intention by true DIY punks who are lifers in the community. As of the day this newsletter is coming out, I think we’ve still got a good number of copies left. Do yourself a favor and gitchu one. That’s all I’ve got. As always, thanks for reading.
‘Til next week,
-Jeff