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"Straight from the Barrio" is the fourth full length studio album from American heavy metal band Upon a Burning Body, released on October 28, 2016, on the Sumerian Records label.
User Album Review
Straight From the Barrio is a conflicted release. You get the sense that the band are in the midst of a shift, and this record is a snapshot mid-transformation. The first half of the album doubles down on the band’s groove and party elements to craft a Latin-infused style of nu-deathcore that basically sounds like a Hispanic Attila. The bilingual lyrics and Latin musical flourishes are really well done, and “‘Til the Break of Dawn” is easily the most unique thing the band have created musically. The lyrics are definitely sophomoric (and that’s arguably the biggest problem with album), but it’s certainly a sign that Upon A Burning Body are here to have a good time first and foremost now. Fast forward to “B.M.F.”, which kind of feels like an Attila parody. It shouldn’t work, with its brazenly silly lyrics, but again the band is so damn good with groove and Southern licks that what shouldn’t work ends up being a low-brow masterpiece. Not everything comes together as well, as the clean hook in “Already Broken” and the synth-fueled chorus are experiments that fail.
However, the truly laughable (at times) lyrics are problematic, though much less so than other “brash” groups (ahem, Attila). Ultimately, it results is a bit of a mixed bag, but despite it’s apparently flaws, a level of personality flows forth. Straight From the Barrio is an unexpectedly enjoyable set of party jams.
Reviewed by Nicholas Senior for newnoisemagazine.com.
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