Album: "Wrack And Ruin"
Label: Metropolis Records (2004)
Style: Electro-industrial
Songs: 10

Reviewed by: Darklight

Hocico have turned into a predictable band where I know exactly how their albums are going to sound even before listening to them. This is because they never really do anything new. And this Wrack And Ruin recording is no different. All of the band's usual elements are included here with absolutely nothing fresh in the mix. You get the standard frantic electronic programming, heavy slamming beats, dark orchestrated melodies and extremely distorted angry snarling vocals.

Hocico does offer a somewhat different sound within the electro-industrial music genre because of their chilling haunting melodies and Rasco Agroyam's unique sounding voice. But the problem is that they continue to repeat themselves on every album they bring out.

Wrack And Ruin doesn't really sound new because it basically sounds like every Hocico album before it. Actually, it features less variety than their previous album Signos De Aberracion. All of the songs tend to sound the same without anything really standing out. It's as if the band is running out of ideas and are simply recycling their sound.

This is still a good album without a bad track to be found, but it doesn't offer anything you haven't heard from the band already.

Album: "Disidencia Inquebrantable"
Label: Metropolis Records (2003)
Style: Electro-industrial/EBM
Songs: 5

Reviewed by: Darklight

The duo of Hocico deliver another menacing assault of dark torture for our listening enjoyment. This Disidencia Inquebrantable release is a five song mini album packed with some of Hocico's best work yet.

The CD begins a bit abruptly with the loud and in-your-face attack known as "Grito De Las Entranas". Frantic electronic programming, heavy beats, and distorted snarling vocals are all placed over beautifully haunting melodies. Track two "Ruptura" is an energetic and driving dark EBM song that would be perfect in clubs with its fast pace and catchy beats. Track three "La Muerte De Un Enemigo" is an extremely short filler piece with a dramatic atmosphere overlaid by a voice sample of an angry man shouting in Spanish. Track four "Ladykiller (In Cold Blood)" returns to form with hectic electronic programming, blasting beats, eerie melodies and growling vocals. Track five "Silent Wrath (I Break)" is more of the same with a little more mood to it. The music is toned down, but the vocals scream along with power and bitter turmoil.

It's too bad Hocico didn't throw a few more songs on this CD and make it a full length release as it ends sooner than I would like. With music this good, I want more of it.

Album: "Signo De Aberracion"
Label: Metropolis Records (2002)
Style: Electro-industrial/EBM
Songs: 11

Reviewed by: Darklight

The Mexican duo known as Hocico return again to deliver another assault of dark madness. While a lot of bands in the industrial/EBM genre are toning down their sound and becoming more "future pop", Hocico still dish it out down and dirty with anger, aggression and a morbid twisted edge. They don’t make nice, happy, bubbly pop music. They make harsh and brutal evil EBM that will only appeal to those with a dark side. And this Signos De Aberracion CD is no exception.

What Hocico does that is a little different is mix in haunting and disturbing dramatic orchestrated instrumentals alongside their manic electro-industrial attacks. This really helps to create an overall mood and atmosphere that is unique to their albums. And it is my opinion that this recording pulls off this style better than any Hocico album before it.

Basically, the band has improved in their song developing abilities and offer up an extremely tight and well constructed CD here. While I usually don’t like a lot of instrumentals on albums, this album is an exception as the instrumentals literally send chills down my spine as they’re extremely powerful and emotional with an eerie edge.

The actual electro-industrial tracks are fast paced and energetic with frantic programming, driving bass beats, moody melodies and pissed off angry distorted snarling male vocals. These tracks could all work out on the club floor as they are intense and relentless with fierce rhythms and beats.

My only complaint is that there are only six electro-industrial/EBM songs with vocals. The other five tracks are darkwave instrumentals. And while I do like the instrumentals, five is a little much for any album in my opinion. Basically, I want more electro-industrial songs and less instrumentals. Hopefully Hocico will tone down on the instrumentals in the future. But even with this complaint, this is still a very good CD from start to finish. No fan of bands such as Das Ich, Leaether Strip, Suicide Commando, Velvet Acid Christ, or :wumpscut: should miss it.

Album: "Sangre Hirviente" (1999)
Label: Interbeat Records
Style: Dark Electro-industrial
Songs: 11

Reviewed by: Darklight

Hocico is a dark electro-industrial duo from Mexico that deliver haunting aggressive fast paced assaults that mix both english and spanish lyrics. They also provide eerie orchestrated instrumentals and soundscapes into their sound to really deliver a creepy edge.

The songs are structured well with layered electronic programming, sampling, bass beats, spooky instrumentations and distorted angry male vocals. They make it all work better than most, and that’s what allows them to stand out.

The band combines drama with aggression and driving clubfloor beats with an overall scary vibe. When you hear Hocico, you know that it’s them and not some other band. They deserve credit for taking an existing style and putting their own unique elements into it.

The feelings of dark melodies combined with frantic electronics and emotional vocals really add a new dimension to this style of music.

While I do like this CD a lot, it’s not a big departure from their previous release. And while I do like the sound that they create, I do feel that they should experiment with different ideas in the future to prevent from putting out more of the same thing. Also, while their instrumentals are good, they included too many on this CD. In the future I hope the band adds somber emotional vocals to their slower songs instead of simply making them instrumentals. Bringing on a female singer to duet with the male vocalist, and to sing on the slower more haunting songs, would be a good idea as well.

Album: "Odio Bajo El Alma" (1997)
Label: Opcion Sonica
Style: Electroindustrial
Songs: 11

Reviewed by: Darklight

Hocico is a dark electro industrial band from Mexico. This debut release is great. The layering of electronics combined with haunting synths and evil whispering distorted vocals is done to perfection. The music delivered here is very dark, moody, cold, eerie and paints quite a bleak image. Every track could work on the dance floor with the energetic rhythms and beats they produce and release. There are vocals on all but two of the tracks and they are mostly sung in english. However, a couple of songs feature spanish lyrics instead. While I can't really credit this band for doing anything new, I do respect them for creating some extremely quality music and delivering an album without a bad track to be found. This is a must for fans of Leaether Strip, Evils Toy, Funker Vogt and :wumpscut:.