•
Rating:
Well, these Puya are original. They hail from Puerto Rico and offer us hardcore that is at times heavy but with rhythms ranging from salsa and merengue to funk. "Fundamental" is the second album from the quartet active since 1988, originally known as Whisker Biscuit, and from my point of view, it is the most complete album.
Another peculiarity of Puya is certainly the use of so-called "Spanglish," that is, the language derived from Spanish "bastardized" with English and used in many areas of Central and South America.
Typical HC outbursts are not lacking, nor are the bizarre percussive elements of singer Sergio Curbelo, which enhance an album composed of tracks that are certainly catchy and almost danceable, and others more in a typically HC style, maybe more banal but always enjoyable. The album in question is from 1999, and it was precisely at the end of the '90s that Puya made themselves known to the public by opening concerts for Kiss, Sepultura, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slipknot... but they could have easily supported Kreator or Mad Caddies, and by selecting just part of their repertoire, also Obituary or Raul Casadei and his orchestra.
The opening track "Oasis" already drums us between a sugary verse that repeats itself by changing language and a very 'cazzudos' heavy chorus, and it's a good omen for the contaminations that will come with the second piece that I dedicate to all the hidden DeBaserians: "Fake", where the trumpets dominate. The title track and the following "Montate" offer a near-growl vocal that mixed with the numerous brass instruments, however, leads us to a slow intermezzo of a folk festival. The mix of sounds and genres doesn't stop, and so "Retro" starts out as a sentimental ballad only to give us violent choruses, "Keep It Simple" offers vocal parts somewhere between Hed-Planet-Earth and hip hop complete with flute, I also mention "Whatever" with its slow and almost spoken progress, "Sal Pa' Fuera" with thrash guitars and party choruses and the intoxicating rhythm of "Trinidad" that precedes the splendid "Solo", the latter song that transcends any categorization.
It continues like this, between a Latin ballroom rhythm and an acceleration hinting at Brazilian metal-core of Ratos De Porao, maneuvering between a heavy and syncopated verse and another where the brass intertwine with background bongos and you can hear the influences of Carlos Santana.
Not recommended for purists of a particular genre, from my point of view "Fundamental" is a 4.5 album as some passages are perhaps too forced, but I gladly give it a full 5 for the combination of styles and the courage to propose a musical blend hardly categorizable in less than 7 words.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Fake (04:08)
Un buen traje y tambien maquillaje
Una sonrisa de anuncio de colgate
Esa mirada que del cine sacaste
Y en tu mente la cuenta de cuantos tipos ya tumbaste
Siempre con los que esten más cool
Con ese grupito tan cinico como tu
tacos altos y perfume del caro
a ver quien cae hoy a quien le tumbas los chavos
Por el otro lao' viene bien recortao'
Bien a la moda y tambien entelao'
Con carita que no quiere la cosa
Mirando por encima pa' ver como posa
Un pendejo con guille de playboy
En su espejo dice que bueno estoy
Con su carro la encanta salir
Es el mamito tremendo figurin
Another day!
To put up your act
One more break!
Give me a break
Another day!
To put up your act
One more break!
To be a fake
Lo tuyo es una cuestión de apariencia
Malditos esclavos de una transforme experiencia
Malditos esclavos de una enferma ciencia
Que nos quito la ultima gota de escencia
Sale el sol, sonrie y nos reta
Quien sera hoy, cual sera hoy tu careta
Intelectual, casual, formal o sensual
Oye, que clase de marioneta
En este teatro el bravito es el que miente
Un gran miedo a que no te acepten
Ironico si somos todos universos
Si olvidemos lo supestamente cierto
Una esquema dificil de romper
Felicidad a base de papel
Una tarjeta para pertenecer
Una vida sin poder ser...
Another day!
To put up your act
One more break!
Give me a break
Another day!
To put up your act
One more break!
To be a fake
Another day!
To put up your act
One more break!
Give me a break
Another day!
To put up your act
One more break!
To be a fake
Los adoquines, algún día no existiran
Y yo los piso ahora y me lo gozo to'
... 'cendio el carro
05 Whatever (04:06)
Suena mi alarma temprano en la manana
y la frisa me tiene agarrao' por una pata
Me hago mi cafe y el azucar ya se acabo
me lo mando asi y a hullir check out the clock
Got stuck up in traffic and I was already late
I'm thinking 'bout the excuse i'm gonna use today
Looking for the one that's gonna sound better
Mira jefe es que mi carro, si si, whatever
Las doce la hora del break, me comeria un steak,
pero no way, no hay break the job deadline's today
So i'm finally done it's time to go home but i still have to collect
And then the lady said
Just mail me the bill like you guys always do
I talked to your boss he said it's all good
So i got back to the shop without a check
How come you didn't collect
El jefe said your fired - Ah si, whatever
Llego a casa esmallao' y no han hecho comida;
no quiero tener que ir al McDonalds de la esquina
Oye mami que paso hoy te toca cocinar
I'm sorry baby, es que me fui a recortar
Asi se van los dias en la cultura del whatever
De nada hay garantia, todo es algarete
The day i died the angel told me in heaven
We're sorry man but we can't find your file
Whatever...
12 No inventes (03:29)
Tu estas tratando pero no lo estas logrando
tu crees que tu estas mi espiritu matando
Pero tu te equivocas porque tu no lo tocas
porque es inmortal y no lo puedes domar
The future is just a possibility to catch on my vision
you need the ability to free the mind from the rigns of society
full of anxiety and fear
So just let go
So just let go
Your straps won't hold, my soul
No intentes, cambiar mi camino
No inventes, con lo mio
Yo vengo de la tierra que esta debajo del concreto
ahi esta nuestra escencia no la compra tu dinero
No se vende ni se cambia,
y por eso a mi la cabeza no se me infla
The future is just a possibility to catch on my vision
you need the ability to free the mind from the reigns of a society
full of anxiety and fear
So just let go
So just let go
Your straps won't hold, my soul
No intentes, cambiar mi camino
No inventes, con lo mio.
Loading comments slowly
