INTRANCED are one of the hottest newcomers on the current American metal scene. The band originally came together as a three-piece in Los Angeles in 2022, consisting of Fili Bibiano (guitars, also active in Fortress and Gravesword), Ben Richardson (drums) and James-Paul Luna (vocals, ex-White Wizzard). On the day Argentina won the football World Cup in 2022, bass player Nico Staub was added to the line-up. Before signing with High Roller Records, INTRANCED released one EP and one single (both can be found on the mini-album »Enhanced«). »Muerte Y Metal« is the band’s first full-length studio album.

“’Muerte Y Metal’ is a Spanish phrase that translates to “Death and Metal”, explains vocalist James-Paul Luna. “Beyond the literal translation, I feel like this title encompasses the album, its themes, and the vibe of the music. The lyrics vary, but the themes are real life, real experiences, ups and downs, grief, fantasy, death, and joy. In a sense, it is heavy metal about life. You could say ‘metal por vida, y metal hasta muerte.’ In English, that means ‘metal for life and metal ‘til death.’ Hence: »Muerte Y Metal«.”

REVIEW: From the very first mention of this new rising star “super-group” I kind of sensed something massive is coming our way and was sucking every piece of information and each tune that appeared online, that were in any way related to INTRANCED. It was just a matter of time those talented boys to indulge us with their long-play debut creation and following the impactful success of the self-named EP in 2022, joined by the next in line “Rogue Warrior” the year after, we lived up to the joyous moment of getting the real deal, delivered in the form of “Muerte y Metal”. For many of us diehard trad metal fans, this is expected to be one of the sensations of the year and without further ado, lets plunge into this refined blend of Californian heavy rock.

Latin influence and relevance were already stated on many occasions, when referring to the band’s genesis and right at the entrance, we’re welcomed by a track with the name of “Reyes De Las Tinieblas”. It is in moments like these I praise and don’t regret the five years spent in Spanish high-school and according my bit rusted language capabilities, the title here says “Kings of the darkness”. Intense guitar riff and a shout out are starting something, that turns to be an Indisputable quintessence of latin rock-and-roll face-melter and the most appropriate mood setter for the rest of the recording. Thematic wise we have a sincere appraisal of the rock lifestyle and view of the world, a subculture being perfectly known as passion, not a part-time fashion. Musically it’s a vibrant, pumped with life piece, standing out with perfectly balanced instrumental orchestration, with each bandmember having proper moments to shine out. Coming right after is “Switchblade” kicking in with a sharp and varied display of guitar improvisation, to break some patterns and welcome the vocals in the storyline. This time in English language, which doesn’t lower the party nuance and almost kinky late 70-ties stylistics, to revive a glamorous epoque in music history, one that’s gone, but could be never forgotten. The feeling is so vivid that you almost start imagining riding in a big convertible, towards the HOLLYWOOD sign on a beautiful sunny day. Fantasy state is carried on the waves of tried and tested song formula, so smooth and frictionless, that you crave it lasts forever. The high-pitched solo brings us back to reality, keeping the high voltage atmosphere, almost indicating we’re close to the end of a journey worth a lifetime. Consider it kind of cliffhanger for the next in line, however “Fantasy” pops up to be the first “metal up your ass” banger in the album, conveyed with solid rhythmic riffs, booming bass and sniper precise drumming that surfaces exactly on the proper spots. Tempo is by far one gear up, while vocal are clearly pushed forward, carry more of a sing-along flavor, bit raspy in certain lines, nonetheless rich in tonality and easily covering a wide range. Half way through and this song already checks all the boxes in the laundry list to qualify for immediate hit, when all of sudden things get even better! The final third really stroke me deeply with the refined cohesion of music and vocals, even with minimum lyrics present. Speaking of which, “Fantasy” sounds and feels like true confession, soaked with both grief and pride, coming from profound and genuine personal experience.

Whirlwind of an intro blows us away in totally different direction, revamping pace, temper and creative intent. “I Dunno Nothin” pivots the emotional state, albeit keeping the familiar autobiography context, where the main character tells his tale of life on the fast metal lane. At first try it sounds bit of self-ironic, superficial to an extent, which I consider a well modeled feature, not a bug. On second try though, I can’t deny the obvious influences and reference to the style of VAN HALEN from their golden era on the rock scene. The “woo-hoo” fragments come to support this statement and put the guitar solos and bridges in account and you have a complete revival of the spirit of one of the most prominent American bands of all times. We’re centered in the middle of “Muerte Y Metal” and its title track time. Slow and proud acoustic introduction sets the scene for a poetic narrative, delivered in Spanish – a strong statement, sweeping away the last leftovers of party frame we experienced to this point. The philosophical wisdom and reflections of this message are not to be disregarded, at minimum as a stepping stone to what follows next. And it’s an outburst of heavy sound, marching beats and triumphant singing. A bilingual approach has been chosen here, mixing Spanish and English lines, which provokes slow clap of hands for the unconventional idea to bring a boutique touch of creativity. To amplify the epic posture, the bass becomes a key participant in building the arrangement, providing the much-needed density in such cases. Naturally, such hymns can’t go without a striking guitar solo and we find that in the catalogue, before the five and a half minutes of extasy fades away.

Latin line is prolonged and after the bar being raised so high with the title track, we’re advancing in the second half of the release with “Entra La Tormenta” (Enter The Storm). Exactly one-minute-long interlude alluding to a sea tempest, cracking ship planks, bursting thunder sounds and roaring of an unknow beast, that send shivers down your spine. Do you dare to move along? I strongly advise you to do so, given that out of the typhoon a “Lady Lightning” is born and I quote “an electric goddess in the sky”. INTRANCED couldn’t have named better that banger and you literally feel your soul electrocuted from the very first note, sending shockwaves to the senses all throughout the 4 minutes of duration. Loving to put sub-genre labels, I would definitely declare this the speed metal anthem of the album and bit surprised to find the most strikingly empowering act so far, living under number 7 in the track list. Looking it from every angle it’s impossible to identify any deficiency in the singing, playing or lyrical elements. Magically monolith work delivered with professional perfection, deserves nothing but a hats down! The L.A. outfit got our veins pumping with first class metal and “Pulse” is the apparatus to measure will we survive the high blood pressure of that euphoria. Starting with grandeur, directly pushing the main chorus theme (next unconventional move from the bag of trick), this track demonstrates an aristocratic maneuver in style, dropping small snippets of power, glam and progressive metal combined, as if the boys are cooking an international delicacy, spiced with what tastes the best, coming from the four corners of the land. I guess this is the outcome when you convene the talent of such adept maestros and if I have to pick a radio hit for air rotation – this is the most natural choice. Last two tracks are genuinely infusing elation and admiration, gaining great deal of respect for the creativity of the quartet.

Leading the closing pair is “Passionate Pretender”, with first part to die for. At this point we haven’t experienced such multifarious intro, from the classical galloping riffs up the refined solo-bass guitars duel reaching one minute deep into the performance. No coincidences are allowed, the entire piece sounding like a cavalcade proudly passing on the streets of a desolated town somewhere in the Great Plains of the Midwest. What’s equally true are the undeniable hair metal cross-references, mainly found in the vox delivery and those naughty notes popping-up in few moments during the chorus. All this wrapped in a package of present days sound, where as a ribbon lavishly shines the guitar solo, tasting like a Powerade on hot desert ride. Last missing element in this musical kaleidoscope turns to be the power-balled and INTRANCED have agreed to embody this as a wave goodbye with “See You On The Other Side”. Are there hidden messages in this title? Can it be a hybrid between a “farewell” and “see you soon”? Really hope to find out and by that time to acknowledge this piece qualifies as a pretty classical closure, having every single trait of top shelf ballad – slow tempo, cutting guitars, profound singalong lyrics and romantic dancing construct. Betting a bottle of bourbon that ladies will go head over heels for this one, so boys – look for the track at your local club jukebox and prepare a handful of pennies

CONCLUSION:

Long awaited debuts, could be a treacherous trap, given the highly acclaimed EP outputs and renowned names in the roster of the band. This record is just starting its epic journey and with great joy I could say the boys managed to fit a bit of everything in, without creating a shapeless mass of metal. At first try, this is maybe the biggest strength and only weakness of the record, in the sense that couple of tracks seem out of place, while some personal favorites from “Intranced” and “Rogue Warrior” could live way better in this habitat. Nevertheless this a real must have and  “Muerte Y Metal” shouts an overjoyed – LONG LIVE HEAVY METAL!

TheNWOTHM Score: 9/10

INTRANCED:

https://www.facebook.com/IntrancedOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/intrancedofficial
https://intranced.bandcamp.com/music