PUYA
Reviewed by Snidermann
Puya return with "Union," a powerhouse of a few different kinds of music: rap, metal and a heavy Latin mix. The combination is explosive and very original. As with the first album, some of the lyrics are in English and some are in Spanish. Whatever the language, Puya puts out the heavy metal music with power and fury.
Puya's performance on "Union" is close to flawless, however - again like the previous album - sometimes the Latin percussion is a bit overwhelming and detracts from the overall metal offering. Regardless, Puya demonstrates pure power and a fresh, original force that is greatly needed in today's metal scene. Whether you care for the Latin edge or not, you've got to admire the band's sticking to their sound.
Puya: Ramon, Sergio, Eduardo and Harold.
For more information, check out http://www.puya.net.
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
Okay. Are you ready for a band that simultaneously rocks your
world like Korn or Deftones, yet still has the guts to make you dance the mambo? Puya
successfully blend the West Coast metal of the '90s and the timeless rhythms and sounds of
Latin music.
Stunningly fresh and unique, Puya take hard music into new territory with their debut
"Fundamental." At times heavier than Incubus and more straight-forward
Latin-sounding than Santana, Puya careen dangerously close to dance music at times.
However, that's part of the charm as Puya's sound brings various elements of many musical
styles into one jumbled package. Puya loosely translates to "steel point."
Everything here is sharp: sharp production, sharp music, and sharp songwriting.
"Solo" may be the disc's strongest track. "Solo" seamlessly melds an easy-going verse with a heavy, killer chorus and horn-filled break. "No Inventes" has the heavy guitars to satisfy any fan, but also the power-groove to make the music modern enough for today's radio programmers. "Sal Pa' Fuera" is a great song as well.
Some of the songs, however, combine too many elements into too short a time frame. For instance, "Oasis" has a killer riff, followed by funky bass and a frantic guitar solo - sometimes it's too much.
Half the vocals on the disc are in Spanish and the other half are in English. Thankfully,
the lyric sheet is in both Spanish and English so you can understand what Puya are trying
to convey. Actually, the hard enunciation of Spanish is perfect for the harder edged parts
of Puya's songs while the English vocals soften the band's sound enough to make a
difference.
Puya are: Ramon Ortiz on guitars; vocalist Sergio Curbelo; Harold Hopkins on bass; Eduardo Paniagua on drums.
For more information, check out http://www.puya.net.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2001 by R. Scott Bolton. All
rights reserved.
Revised: 09 Dec 2024 16:07:11 -0500
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