The new self-titled EP from Huelga packs a boiling pit of intense, instrumental death metal rage under the weight of a creeping, sinister, and ultimately anger-fueled darkness. The project’s mastermind Michael Fonseca has perfectly captured an enthralling musical experience within the space of his new release’s “only” three tracks and not even fifteen minute runtime. While keeping a spigot of brutalizing intensity wide open, Fonseca never lets the listener know exactly what might be around the corner, fitting his music’s raw, pulsating core into a complex frame that lets the tunes shine. With his music, Fonseca tells a story that he’s explained centers around the awful treatment people of Latin heritage have faced in the present and recent political climates, which gives a chillingly human explanation to the monster repeatedly poking through his compositions and depicted ever so-fittingly on the cover art.
Right off the bat, he hooks listeners with grinding and wildly spinning intensity, but as Huelga progresses, the listener gets hit with epic thrusts that feel like they’re depicting both a “fall from grace” in a perhaps familiar heavy metal sense and the concurrent possibility of returning to a high point. As you get to the end of the three new tracks from Fonseca, you’re easily left eagerly awaiting what choices he made to conclude the record — will we be able to break above the noise or not? Put in the practical terms behind the striking emotional questions — will we soar on some melodic ease into a conclusion or be left spinning?
Spoiler: Fonseca stuck to the intensity all the way through Huelga, which lends to clear expansive impact on a number of levels. For one, the real-world rage that he’s funneling into his unique tracks remains very relevant, for Latin American people, their advocates and allies, and other similarly targeted groups. Just look around.
Additionally, the face-melting, maniacal but fascinatingly ordered musical chaos that Fonseca hits the listener with deserves a continued place in the lexicon. There’s a thrilling sense of triumph that percolates through his new tracks as one makes their way through — it’s the music of rushing full-speed ahead into the armored blockade in front of you and welcoming the result, no matter the “pain.” The release’s snapshot of confidence feels exciting.
5/5 Stars
The music will be available April 5! Preorder at the Huelga Bandcamp
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