Review by Felix on March 1, 2024.

My Spanish skills are miserable and even this attribute is actually an euphemism. At least it's enough to translate the martial names of the band and album. Obviously, Guerra Total see themselves as a kind of musical wrecking ball and so they bear their moniker with pride. Of course, South America does not lack extremely raw bands and it seems only logical that the Colombians do not want to stand in the shadow of their neighbors. Nevertheless, their music has a more or less European feeling to me. It is not only a song title like 'Metal Goats' which reminds me of Impaled Nazarene. The entire album spreads these hellish “the atomic war has just begun” vibes. This may not be highly original in 2024, but who has said that quality and originality always go hand in hand?

To say it clearly, Guerra Total do not care about useless rubbish. Fine-minded nuances? Unknown. Sophisticated song patterns? What is this thing? Originality – can you spell it please? The five-piece with its casual pseudonyms (HammerDeath is my favorite, but I wonder that the dude with this name does not play the drums) loves to reduce the compositions to the essentials. Given this fact, one finds anger, straightforwardness and high velocity in abundance on Himnos Rituales De Guerra Y Total Devastación. The guitars sound cheap yet vicious, the permanently malicious lead vocalist sees no sense in different pitches and everything must be said and done within four minutes. A song name like 'Iä! Iä! Cthulhu Fhtagn' gives the whole thing an almost Dadaist flavor, but the music is much more substantial. The guys have written some really cool riffs and sometimes one even finds some catchy elements. Discreet tempo shifts loosen the inferno, but mostly the band holds the reins firmly in its hands.

Admittedly, I was surprised when I saw that this is already the eleventh full-length of the band, because there is a lot of energy to feel. This component helps the album through a few musically solid yet not fully convincing parts. The guitar solo of 'Misanthropist God', for instance, does not fit into the context at all. Anyway, these dudes must be men of conviction, otherwise they would not have been able to record so many albums since 2010. This does not make the music better, but authenticity and integrity are still important factors. Therefore and in view of the fact that all songs deliver some shabby fun I can recommend the album to all those who like it wild, brutal and one-dimensional. Fans of formations such as Barbarian Swords will not be disappointed – and I am not either.

Rating: 7.4 out of 10