Hamlet
La puta y el diablo

It's not easy to capture the sound of bands like Soulfly or Ill Nino (which, among themselves, are profoundly different) without falling into mere imitation. The Spanish band Hamlet (active since the early '90s, by the way) manages to do so halfway with their latest album "La Puta Y El Diablo."

With lyrics strictly in their native language and a decent technical preparation, the five from Madrid offer a well-crafted product in terms of execution and production (entrusted to Logan Mader, former guitarist of Machine Head and the early Soulfly). The game gets a bit more challenging for them when it comes to producing great songs, the kind to be remembered over the years or at least the kind that makes you say "ah, finally money well spent on this record," and they partly succeed. However, in certain, too many, parts of the album, the Spaniards descend to anonymity or mere routine. I'm not talking about individual songs but rather some parts of certain pieces; I think of the final part of "La Tentacion," the middle part of "Siete Historias Diferentes," certain epic moments here and there that decidedly clash or transitions that bring them closer to simple Latin rock, undermining the strength and impact of the album's overall direction.

But these are notes, smudges here and there that, on the whole, do not greatly compromise the otherwise positive nature of the album, which mainly features some excellent groovy riffing that's quite tight, significantly raising the standard level of the songwriting. I think of great tracks like "En El Nombre de Dios" balancing between thrash flights and more cadenced Sepultura rhythms from "Chaos A.D." with a rather tense atmosphere in the chorus.

Thrash influences also appear in "El Traje del Muerto," with great rhythmic work, and the clear mark of the more combative Soulfly is branded on tracks like "Revolucion" and "Escupe Tu Vanidad." The more spiritual and calm side is well highlighted in "No Habra Final" (which still contains harder, more sustained parts) and in the concluding "Sacrificio" (8 minutes long with a calm and reflective ending, almost flamenco), while the opener "El Habil Reino del Desconcierto" is the one most tied to the lesson of Ill Nino with its melodic openings (perhaps it was the least suited for opening, with its over 6 minutes).

I don't know much about the (extensive) discography of the band in question, but with some adjustments and more inspiration, Hamlet can do much more because they have the capability. Certainly, they will never be the new Soulfly; that much is certain.