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Not
to beat a horse I already killed, but I would once again
like to highlight the fact that Spain has one of the
most thriving and overlooked underground rock scenes in
the world. Like many before them (Moho, Adrift, etc)
Cuzo have delivered an album that as solid as it is
surprisingly refreshing. Sure, it is refreshing because
it is that solid - and these days like always most
albums kinda suck- not because it really is all that
groundbreaking. But nowadays, what is?
Cuzo make
instrumental psychedelic stoner rock. Contrary to what most sub
genre dwellers tend to do, Cuzo keep their songs rather short.
By delivering an album that clocks in under 42 minutes this
Barcelona trio keep their focus on and gets our attention.
There are
several moments when Cuzo simply rock out, like during “El Miedo
es lo Que Mata” where the band seems content delivering a
circular heavy riff. Slowly and repetitively Cuzo turn the song
inside out though. It’s a great move where plain rocking stoner
shifts to post rocking dwelling. The beat is dead halfway
through the song. Then Cuzo re-animates itself by going back to
the circular riff.
But an
instrumental album with zero trickery and no vocals is an album
that lacks and hurts because of the absence of words. Cuzo
aspires to depth via the guitarist’s ambitious effect rack. If
this axeman wasn’t that great of a player Cuzo would agonize a
bit more than a bit. It’s up to the guitarist to do 80% of the
work here. His space-like sounds and fluent rock riffs are it,
filling the space and adding ambience. A bit of a one trick pony
to be frank but for a debut, Amor y Muerte en la Tercera Fase
is more than good enough.
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