LUZBEL: "Metal caido del cielo" MLP (Metal fallen from the Sky)
Comrock 1985
Mexiko
Antonio Morante - bass and keyboars
Sergio A Lópes - drums and b. vocals
Raúl Greñas - guitars, keys and B. vocals
Arturo Huizar - vocals

Rarity:
MLP (1st pres.) = 4
MLP (2nd pres.) = 3
MCD = 2,5
El angel de la lujuria
El loco
Esta noche es nuestra
La gran ciudad
For most of the European Metal collectors, this is one of the best known Mexican bands of all, perhaps because they got more promotion than many others at that time. Well, regarding this record, I must say that it is a cult recording in the Mexican scene, not just coz it is one of the first real metal bands in Mexico but it is a quality product, and an angular stone for bands which came later. Although some Metal bands got a bit more of attention in the mass-media after LUZBEL which was distributed by the international WEA. The influence of the British Metal bands are clear and evident from beginning to end of this record, without being a carbon copy, though, but still keeping the tradition of Heavy Metal sung in Spanish. The first track is >El angel de la lujuria<(Angel of lust), classic mid tempo Heavy Metal with great elements and deep lyrics. The vocals are very effective and fit really good to the rest of the music to get as result a head banging song, excellent for live performances. Perhaps this song is simple, but that's its value, at least this is much more effective than those songs with 2000 blind riffs. >El loco< (the madman) repeats the formula from the previous song, but in no way it is a rip off, instead it got its own personality with some riffs truly inspired and some guitar soli which reminds of those baroque reminiscence, giving the music of LUZBEL a discrete touch of technique, without saturating with mess. The commercial touch is given by the well done >Esta noche es nuestra< (this night is ours), which is some kind of love song, but never overpassing the frontiers of heaviness and metallic feeling…in few words: it is not a ballad, just a good Metal song, even featuring some keyboards to put in some emphasis and emotion. Next on line is >La gran ciudad< (The great city), which is a attempt for exploring new fields in the musical direction of the band, since the song is some kind of "depressive" track, with texts a bit ambiguous, yet deep. Being the slowest song here, it got the chance to the boys to use choruses and stuff. The production was good enough, something seldom heard when listening to a South American album. Anyway, the quality of this record, and all 4 first recordings of the band is as good as any band around, but actually, I think that just a Heavy Metal lover can understand the great metallic offer of this bunch of rockers with few luck and even less money to go even straight. If Heavy metal is your way, then this is for you.
Reviewed by Jose Luis Cano

LUZBEL: "Pasaporte al infierno" LP (Passport to Hell)
WEA1986
Mexiko
Antonio Morante - bass and keyboars
Sergio A López - drums and b. vocals
Raúl Greñas - guitars, keys and B. vocals
Arturo Huizar - vocals

Price:
LP: 45 €
CD: 20 €

Pasaporte al infierno
Bájate de esa cruz
Hijos del Metal
Déjate ser
Atrapado en el Metal
Kirieleison
Advertencia
Guerrero Verde
La ultima cena

This is another classic!. As very few bands in this country, LUZBEL got the chance to have a very decent production, which was fundamental to get a great album as it is "Pasaporte al infierno", the first full lp of the band. Without any mercy, bursts out the super classic of the band >Pasaporte al infierno< (Passport to hell), fast track, reaching almost the Speed Metal levels. The lyrics, being a very important part of LUZBEL fill up in the best way possible the musical context. With moderated velocity follows >Bájate de esa cruz< (Get down from your cross), a song from which many people thought it's satanic hymnal, but it is not, better said it is a very critical song towards the Christianity. One of the most important parts of this band was always the lyrics which went down to the basis of the hypocritical society. >Hijos del Metal< (Children of Metal) says it all with its title, perhaps the backing vocals would have been arranged to get a more epic sense, but actually the song pictures very well the way a hard rocker lives his live. It rages from mid time beats to faster parts, which help the song to get better results in terms of intensity. The song >Déjate ser< (Be Yourself) is not a ballad as you might think, to the contrary, it is a good composition with acoustic guitars and the rest of the classic Metal instruments. The lyrics far off being a brokenhearts story, relates the manifestation of the inner being. Back in the aggressive level storms the fast >Atrapado en el Metal< (Trapped in Metal), whose power and velocity do not fade all the song long, and even includes a discret bass solo. Without doubt this must be considered the neckbreaker track of this LP, made to take you to the ecstasy in live performances. The apocalyptic >Kirieleison< (from Greek, "Have Mercy") is a fast track as well, as Power Metal was supposed to be, with great guitar flashes and metallic determination, killing everything in sight. As a destructive song which it truly is, the lyrics just describe the somber destiny of humanity in an apocalypse. Some effects and acoustic guitars are the prelude for >Advertencia< (The warning), which is a heavy song, but not as slow as those Doom bands. At the first look this seems to be the weakest song here, but raises very well in the guitar solo attack to reach a climax of intensity and take off the ghost of boringness. Another favorite of the band to play live is >Guerrero Verde< (Green warrior), a song with great riffing of pure metallic tradition, not fake bullshit. The closing track is the ultra baroque instrumental >La ultima cena< which demonstrates vividly the likes of the band for classic compositions. From an acoustic intro comes the metallic part, filled with tunes and rhythm changes, showing that the axeman Raúl Greñas was a virtuoso with very few luck. But after all, this is still a very hailed album in and out of Mexico for all the reasons here described, and even more so, if you want to know a great Metal record from the mid part of the 80's, this is one of the list. Not for everyone, out there, though.
Reviewed by Jose Luis Cano

 

Back