Dutch band PENDEJO was formed back in 2006, and issued their debut album “Cantos a la Vida” in 2010. “Atacames” is their sophomore production, and was released through Graviton Music Services in 2014.
Stoner rock and doom metal have been a popular aspect of hard rock and metal for just over 40 years, and there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of artists with a desire to explore that particular style of music.Pendejo is another addition to that list, although this is a band that approach this genre with a slight twist.
The main ingredients on this album will be familiar to anyone that have encountered any band described as stoner rock or doom metal though. Booming bass and dark, rough booming guitar riffs, with steady powerful drum patterns in support and in this case with a vocalist with a hoarse, almost talk like delivery. The expression in this case is probably closer to stoner rock than doom metal with the circulating, often fluctuation bass and riffs where both pace and structure is a tad removed from both traditional and more modern varieties of doom metal, but the rich, vibrant majestic instrument sounds does have somewhat more of a doom flavor to them, in an Electric Wizard kind of way albeit not as extreme, and the general mood, atmosphere and core instrument sound does have something more of a 70’s attitude to them. Some token psychedelic details and occasional gentler passages adds depth and scope, and there’s even an instance of a guitar solo run post rock style at hand here, which works surprisingly well in this context I should add.
What sets this band slightly apart from others are two details. The choice of language, Spanish unless I’m much mistaken, is the minor detail here. The major details is the relative absence of traditional guitar solo runs, just a token few can be found here, and the fact that when a solo spot unfolds the trumpet is used as the lead instrument. Playful, uplifting bursts, ethereal textures and mournful trumpet serenades are used sparingly and to good effect, and as alien as it may sound to those that haven’t heard the trumpet used in such a context I’ll add that this is an instrument that, used in the right manner, most certainly is an invigorating addition to stoner rock and doom metal. In this case this is the icing on the cake, the final finish that elevates the end result rather than being the odd presence that just doesn’t fit.
The end result is a well made, tight and booming loud production of music residing on the borderlands between stoner rock and doom metal somewhere, feet firmly placed in a 70’s sound, mood and atmosphere, with Latin inspired elements by way of vocals and brass as a spirited expansion of this particular type of music. An album worth giving a spin to those who tend to enjoy bands exploring the vintage oriented parts of the stoner rock and doom metal universe, and then especially those among them treasuring artists that does expand the borders and boundaries of that universe.
My rating: 84/100
