Review: Rabia Sorda – 'Hotel Suicide'

RABIA SORDA
'Hotel Suicide' 

OUT OF LINE 

Hocico's Erk Aicrag returns with his side project Rabia Sorda's latest outing, 'Hotel Suicide'. Whereas Hocico has been focused on a strictly aggrotech agenda, Rabia Sorda has always been a little more fluid. Still angry and uncompromising, Rabia Sorda still manage to incorporate other elements into their sound, and 'Hotel Suicide' is no different.

Aicrag's electro formula is penetrated by hardcore and post-punk elements throughout, giving the hard beats and searing synths a more organic atmosphere. Tracks like 'Indestructible', 'Deaf', 'Somewhere Along The Road', 'Hotel Suicide' and 'Abuse Me' are anthemic manifestos that easily get bodies moving and fists in the air. While the likes of 'Abwesend', 'Eye M The Black Sheep', 'Marionette' and 'Novienbre Arde' are a lot more playful with their styles and give a bit more variety to the track list with the guitars higher in the mix, more frantic beats and even ballad elements evident.

The production is spot on, bringing the various elements to the front of the mix when they're needed and not burying them behind the electronic elements. The guitars in particular vary nicely in their use and are a nice counterpoint to the ever prevalent synths.

This is a strong release with plenty of the variety that often lacks from Aicrag's main project. The punky guitars together with the occasional experimental twists and different vocal deliveries hold the attention nicely. But most importantly Rabia Sorda still have that energetic dance quality that will appeal to Hocico fans as well.

Perhaps now the term “side project” is no longer really a fitting description as 'Hotel Suicide' shows how Rabia Sorda is developing into a formidable entity in its own right. More releases of this quality will certainly blur that distinction further.

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