Mala Suerte

Rituals of Self-Destruction (Illwill)

True to its moniker, Mala Suerte always felt slightly out of step with Austin’s metal renaissance, never earning the same acclaim as the Sword or the Well. Rituals of Self-Destruction deserves a better fate, peak sludge and crunch from the psychedelic-edged quintet. Thundering from dark, thick depths, “Labyrinth of Solitude” and “Theater of the Absurd” crawl forth like conqueror worms on acid, steeped in the occult and magic mushrooms. “Utopic Delusions” and the explicitly political “Slaves Shall Serve” slather on classic chug with a shining NWOBHM blade. “Rivers to Ruin” revisits the band’s thrashcore roots, whipping hair and snapping necks. Gary Rosas’ commanding growl takes center stage, but guitarists David Guerrero and Vincent Piña drive the tracks with layered riffs that shift from slashing doom to grinding hooks. Sophisticated songwriting and instrumental interplay animate Rituals of Self-Destruction, stomping Mala Suerte into the twilight as masters of the secret fire.

***.5

This article appears in April 3 • 2015.

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Michael Toland started writing about music in 1988 on the Gulf Coast, moved to Austin in early 1991, and has inflicted bylines upon the corporeal and digital pages of Pop Culture Press, The Big Takeover, Blurt, Amplifier, Austin.citysearch, the Austin American Statesman, Goldmine, Sleazegrinder, Rock & Roll Globe, High Bias, FHT Music Notes, and, since 2011, The Austin Chronicle.