From the opening shred and bombastic drumming, the listener knows 8 Kalacas’ Fronteras (Atomic Fire Records) is going to be epic. If you aren’t familiar with the 8 Kalacas, be prepared. It’s not straight up punk or metal. The songs veer stunningly off the tracks with the insertion of a ska sound that immediately puts one in the mind of the old Batman and Robin television series with Adam West and Burt Ward. The album is frenetic, wild, and just plain fun! Fronteras is part ska, part punk, part metal, part schlock, and all amazing. If you are a fan of Russkaja, then 8 Kalacas is your band. It’s like that, but in Spanish. 

It is impossible to listen to this album and keep still. There is monumental forward movement on each and every song. 8 Kalacas lovingly crafts each song for either headbanging or circle pitting or pogoing. ‘Mutante’ is a beast of a song that showcases this. The song has shades of early Metallica, White Zombie, and System of a Down. ‘Mutante’ is mad wicked! I bow down to Choriz on trumpet and Gio on trombone. Choriz and Gio elevate the album from punk/metal to something sublime. Throw in Adam on drums and Sick on bass and Fronteras melts your face off. ‘Labios Negros’ is another stunningly composed song. The listener closes their eyes and gets lost in the composition. It’s witchery in audio motion. ‘Labios Negros’ is a song that will get played over and over and over again. ‘Luz y Fer’ is another perfect track. It’s got Stray Cat Strut all over it. It’s bluesy, ballsy, and oh so deliciously wicked. I can’t over emphasize how insanely wicked Fronteras is! 

8 Kalacas’ Fronteras provides old fans and new with joyful bouncy exuberance. Fronteras is chock full of energetic earworms from song one ‘Frontera’ to song twelve ‘1941’. Frontras is perfect for parties, driving (albeit very fast), and just general merry making. 

Buy the album here: https://music.atomicfire-records.com/Fronteras

7 / 10

VICTORIA ANDERSON