Review by Greg on July 10, 2023.

Ossuary Records secured themselves a truly promising artist after reissuing Anarquía Y Destrucción, the 2021 debut full-length from emergent Colombian act Ramera, a moniker (that I understand as being the Spanish equivalent to 'bitch') which belies a single young man taking care of every instrument, alias Ratman. Despite these premises, we're not dealing with black metal, though – Ramera plays lo-fi thrash metal with a horror edge, and some punk influences. Let's see what this one has to offer.

So, the man no doubt managed to keep every aspect under his strict control, during the recording sessions. Okay, unsurprisingly, the whole thing ends up being a bit rough around the edges from time to time – there are some minor vocal cracks every now and then, some clunky transitions aren't handled masterfully (you can refer to the five seconds of silence shortly before the solo in opener 'Inquisición'), but it's all part of the charm, methinks. Only the unsuccessful title-track might prompt to use the 'skip' button, mainly because of its awkward half-sung chorus. Elsewhere, after a rather slow-burning intro, 'Inquisición' makes a good enough use of the riff from Exumer's 'Fallen Saint', while the devastating 'Iglesia Ramera' brings to the table the most extreme influences, testing Ratman's flair on blast beats, and delivering some great riffs.

However, the album is far from being a one-trick pony, as there are slower numbers almost as good (like the punky 'Commandos De Guerra'), if not better. The latter is the case of 'Aquelarre', which embodies the theme of a witches' sabbat with an incredibly effective slower crawl, eerily echoing early Bulldozer and Witchery with the spot-on clean, melodic lines (not to mention Ratman's angry AC Wild impression). Easy highlight, a genuinely cool song, and I'd be keen to hear more stuff along these lines in the future. There goes my (not required) advice for an eventual sophomore.

All in all, this young newcomer's first step in the metal scene was a success, as it managed to recapture a very particular niche in the thrash genre. Ramera's first LP Anarquía Y Destrucción is a solid start, not to mention concise, at a half hour of total playing time. Some polish is surely needed, but there's plenty of potential to be found here. Let's stay tuned.

Rating: 7.2 out of 10