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Tenochtitlan - Chac Och-Ut review



Reviewer:
8.2

3 users:
7.67
Band: Tenochtitlan
Album: Chac Och-Ut
Style: Ambient Folk, Neofolk, Doom metal
Release date: 2006


01. Och Vitz Ngui P'i Xo-Xot
02. Astlan - A Way Made Of Dark Stone
03. Can Quitlaz in Huelic Xochimeh
04. A Place Where Gods Are Born
05. A Toltek Artist
06. Jaguar Epoch
07. Haa Ki-Um U Poc Av
08. Tsompantly
09. Four Sides Of Paradise
10. Ch'e'nal

"Chac Och-Ut" is the second album of the really original Russian combo Tenochtitlan. And I can tell you that it was a real challenge to release this kind of album. Mixing "South American" ethnic music with Doom Metal, the music of this band is totally uncommon but also a bit "intellectual", elitist and not so easy of access. Though if you like original stuff and if you're a bit open minded, I'm quite sure that the beginning of these Russians dudes will be interesting for you.

"Chac Och-Ut" is maybe not so deep that the first album of the band but it's easy to link those two releases. Like on "Epoch Of The Fifth Sun" the music is a mix of Ethnic and World Music with of course in addition, Metal. It means that, you'll be to find different kind of vocals like Death ones but also nice beautiful voices. The lyrics are in Russian and as I know (remember that I cannot read and understand Russian!) the band chose to use also some words of the Aztec and Inca languages. The atmosphere is really dark, with a lot of insistent and loud riffs but it's also possible to find a lot of great melodies and some superb musical parts produced by folk instruments like flutes for example. If it is still dark during the whole length of the album, this is actually possible to enjoy those melodies. I mean that the music is beautiful and the melodies are always catchy. Maybe that it will sound weird for you but the principal idea that was to mix Metal with Aztec and Incas sonorities and ambiances is pretty good. With a bit of imagination, when you'll listen to this album, I'm quite sure that you'll have the feeling that you're back in this amazing but sanguinary world?

The production of the album is really good (it seems that it is a trend with this band). Even if all the members live in different cities and even if Tenochtitlan is actually a project, the guys managed to produce a beautiful album with an amazing booklet and when it comes to the sound we're in front of a really high level too. Tenochtitlan is an original project and not an easy one but it's obvious that the guys put a lot of efforts on this release and at the end, we're just in front of an excellent job.

"Chac Och-Ut" is a surprising album and this time this is an original Metal! Though you'll have to remember that this album is not an album easy of access, this is complex and yes a bit elitist but if you're a bit open minded and aren't afraid by "Ethno" music I'm quite sure that you'll like it "Chac Och-Ut" is a really good and original release, something different and fresh!


Rating breakdown
Performance: 8
Songwriting: 7
Originality: 10
Production: 8

Written by Jeff | 25.09.2006




Comments

Comments: 12   Visited by: 18 users
26.09.2006 - 05:15
Vinnie R.
Chido Chido
This guys are awesome!
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26.09.2006 - 16:22
Rating: 7
Götter
avatar of misery
This album is more death than doom, really. And not as great as "Epoch", although it's still really good. And to clear things up, this is Tenochtitlan's first album and "Epoch" is the second one.
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26.09.2006 - 16:56
Streetcleaner
Account deleted
it should be "north-american" instead of "south-american" but besides that minor mistake I liked the review...
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26.09.2006 - 20:33
Jeff
Freaky Admin
@Gotter: To clear things up, this is an email that I got from the team of the band... I thought the same thing than you but it seems that we were wrong...

"Thank you for you great reviews!
I just want to say to you that Tenochtitlan "Epoch Of The Fifth Sun"
is the 1st their album and "Chac Och-Ut" is the 2nd.

Seems you have been confused at metal-archives.com... some
"specialist" upload a wrong information..."


But anyway, we agree, Epoch is better


Streetcleaner: Incas were in Peru, so it's also South American music
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26.09.2006 - 21:45
Streetcleaner
Account deleted
nope.. this band is based in Aztech culture... Tenochticlan was the Aztech capital, over which Mexico City was built
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26.09.2006 - 21:59
Rating: 7
Götter
avatar of misery
Written by Guest on 26.09.2006 at 21:45

nope.. this band is based in Aztech culture... Tenochticlan was the Aztech capital, over which Mexico City was built


Yes, but the band deals with not just aztecs, but also incas and mayas and possibly other Mesoamerican civilizations as well.
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26.09.2006 - 22:05
Jeff
Freaky Admin
Written by Götter on 26.09.2006 at 21:59

Written by Guest on 26.09.2006 at 21:45

nope.. this band is based in Aztech culture... Tenochticlan was the Aztech capital, over which Mexico City was built


Yes, but the band deals with not just aztecs, but also incas and mayas and possibly other Mesoamerican civilizations as well.


Yeah definitely... Even if the name is "Tenochticlan" (and I know that it's the "old" Mexico btw), the band deals with Mesoamerican civilizations in general, Aztech, Inca, Maya, Nazca etc

And as I know anyway, Mexico is in Central America, not North America
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26.09.2006 - 22:12
Streetcleaner
Account deleted
Written by Jeff on 26.09.2006 at 22:05

Written by Götter on 26.09.2006 at 21:59

Written by Guest on 26.09.2006 at 21:45

nope.. this band is based in Aztech culture... Tenochticlan was the Aztech capital, over which Mexico City was built


Yes, but the band deals with not just aztecs, but also incas and mayas and possibly other Mesoamerican civilizations as well.


Yeah definitely... Even if the name is "Tenochticlan" (and I know that it's the "old" Mexico btw), the band deals with Mesoamerican civilizations in general, Aztech, Inca, Maya, Nazca etc

And as I know anyway, Mexico is in Central America, not North America


North American Messoamerican probably South American (in case that they sing about Incas also) this shit isturning confusing... the proper word would had been "American" but then everyone would have the USA in mind... well, this band is good that that's what matters...
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26.09.2006 - 22:18
Jeff
Freaky Admin
Hey why not Latin America ?

But we agree, it's a good band
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27.09.2006 - 01:23
Streetcleaner
Account deleted
Written by Jeff on 26.09.2006 at 22:18

Hey why not Latin America ?

But we agree, it's a good band


beacause "Latin American ethnic music" would sound like Cumbia and Reggaeton
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27.09.2006 - 16:05
marzzelo
Account deleted
just to know something.... hehehe

mexico is in north america
inca culture is not just in peru ( bolivia , peru, ecuador, chile )
inca language = quechua
tenochtitlan = mexican culture ...

and the most relevant
tenochtitlan = awesome band, great music, is strange that asian people will have interest in american culture

and... something that is important
U.S.A. is not "america" is just a country in america, just like guatemala, peru, brazil, etc.... is unfair to stay thinking that american people are just from USA.

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31.08.2008 - 07:17
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
I'm not sure if their songs are about all the three great american civilizations (Aztec, Mayas and Incas).. the name ''Tenochtitlan'' only concerns the Aztecs, its the famous ancient city... i dont understand russian or nahuatl, but i dont think Mayas and Incas has something to do with this band...
Anyway.. it doest really matter, this album is darker than the previous, i didnt like it as much as ''Epoch...'' but its still worthed. 8,8 / 10.
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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