Author: Rok Klemše
Photos: Nina Grad
Location: Kino Šiška, Ljubljana
Concert date: 13.07.2018
Festival season is in full swing, and the capital has already hit its concert dead zone, which, with a few rare exceptions (at least as far as the more extreme music genres go), lasts all the way until autumn. That makes the few gigs that do happen in summer all the more welcome. Especially when they land on a Friday, and especially when the »Mexican« sorcerer narco cartel Brujeria comes back to Slovenian stages. Last Friday, in the downstairs hall of Kino Šiška, they were warmed up by homegrown grind outfit Glista, and between them the two bands got a not exactly huge crowd going with blast beats, growling, squealing, screaming, sharp riffs and disco.
Yes, disco! The Ljubljana grinders Glista, who are currently working on their first studio album Death Machinery, which they say is due out this fall, mix their classic grind punch with elements of disco and waltz. Their grind is also devilishly dynamic and full of twists and turns, while still packing all the obligatory grind ingredients like blast beats, polka drums, massive loud riffs and the varied vocals of Matija Majcen, who can pull off both ultra-deep growling and high-pitched screaming. Even better are his academic, humorous announcements between songs, where he sounds like a trained weather presenter on RTV. As a Slovenian-studies graduate, Tegli surely gets a warm fuzzy feeling from them. Glista had a surprise ready this time, when violinist Andrej Kopač (who already guested on the debut Big Bad Wolf) joined them on stage, and with whom, in the band’s words, they invented avant-grind. The whole thing sounded surprisingly good, though, and I hope the collaboration finds its place on the album too. Glista is a band that has filled a relative void in the Slovenian grind scene, which I welcome with great pleasure.
The »Mexican« grinders Brujeria (in quotes, because the Mexican roots in the band are really only represented by the vocal duo Juan Brijo and Pinche Peach, while it’s actually an all-star lineup gathered from all corners of the world) played here for the third time, which was also their most modest show in Slovenia. Sadly, this time neither Jeff Walker (Carcass) nor Shane Embury (Napalm Death) was hiding under the scarves and caps, and they didn’t bring the gorgeous mascot Pititis along either, but behind the kit sat drumming heavyweight Nick Barker, and under the guitarist’s disguise you could make out Anton Reisenegger (Lock Up, Criminal, Pentagram Chile). Anyway, Brujeria did their job totally confidently, and loudly too, and the obligatory crowd-working with funny banter in Spanish was there as well, which Pinche Peach brought a bit closer to us with the occasional English translation, but maybe their first two shows here stuck in the memory more strongly. Still, the classics like Brujerizmo, Marche de Odio, Anti-Castro, Matando Gueros and Raza odiada once again landed nicely in the ears, straight from the throats of the double vocal attack, and of course there was the dedication to Trump, Viva Presidente Trump!, with which Brujeria sent him exactly where he deserves – to the »pito« (see the Spanish translation). Brujeria said goodbye to Ljubljana with the obligatory green-tinted cover of Macarena and gave us a nice send-off into the festival summer. Si!
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