Andrew Danso

If the feeling of torment is to be met upfront on Nagual, then certainly, there’s not much it could do wrong. It wreaks havoc on the listener, cycling through space rock, droned guitar, and sludgy metal riffing – not to mention vocal samples throughout, that are not even in sync with the albums sound. The vocal is often used as an instrument, added for atmosphere, instead of simply spearheading the tracks by means of a lyric. Yes, the story is very much in its atmosphere. Nagual does its best to carry you from section to section, but no doubt, the feeling of malnourishment soon kicks in, as there’s nothing to frantically clinch onto.

I The Witch’s vision is in here somewhere, but there is so much editing, so much lunacy in its production, it’s too difficult to decipher the record the band envisioned it to be. However, our ears tell us that this isn’t meant to be enjoyed, but connected with – it no doubt succeeds in the former.

4/10 PowerPlay issue #133