Review by Ben for Tzompantli - Tlazcaltiliztli (2022)

Apparently Tzompantli (which is the name of a Mesoamerican skull rack) is the side project of Brian Ortiz, a member of the Metalcore turned Death Metal outfit Xibalba. I've never heard that band, so have no idea just how much of a departure this album is. I can say that Tlazcaltiliztli is a really intriguing album that caught my attention almost instantly. It combines tribal sections with a disEMBOWEMENT-like death doom, and adds a bunch of heavy, groovy death metal into the mix. One minute it sounds like Evoken performing some dark native ritual, while the next it brings to mind an ultra-doomy cover of Where the Slime Lives. The drumming is a highlight for me, always changing patterns and techniques while never losing touch with the riffs. I'm a sucker for tribal drumming in general and while I do wish that they were more entwined with the metal rather than playing a separate role, I welcome them every time they appear. This is yet another great Fallen release for 2022 (which wouldn't feel out of place in The Horde) and one I thoroughly recommend. It's relatively short running time make it easily consumable, so if it doesn't float your boat, you won't have lost out on much.