Angry Metal Guy<p><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/amgs-unsigned-band-rodeo-kalaveraztekah-nikan-axkan/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö: Kalaveraztekah – Nikan Axkan</a></p><p><i>By Dolphin Whisperer</i></p><p><em>“AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö” is a time-honored tradition to showcase the most underground of the underground—the unsigned and unpromoted. This collective review treatment continues to exist to unite our writers in boot or bolster of the bands who remind us that, for better or worse, the metal underground exists as an important part of the global metal scene. The Rodeö rides on.”</em></p><p>The Rodeö is full of surprises. Today’s potential riff trap hails from the arid lands of Aguascalientes, Mexico, known most famously for its array of hot springs and <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/national-museum-of-death" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">National Museum of Death</a>. Yes, in death <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kalaveraztekah" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Kalaveraztekah</strong></a> revels, and not just in a death metal groove indebted to the jagged scrawl of <strong>Morbid Angel </strong>or the destructive howl of early <strong>Behemoth</strong>. With a healthy inclusion of pre-Hispanic, indigenous instrumentation alongside their chunky and pinch-addled drive, <em>Nikan Axkan</em> churns and tumbles through chants and thunderous drum roll to shine a light on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexica" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Mexica</a> culture and history of sacrifice and spirit world. To excavate the wonders that the adventurous <strong>Kalaveraztekah</strong> holds hidden in the underground, we’ve assembled a crack Rodeö crew, including an appearance from <strong><span>The Man, The Myth, The AMG Himself</span></strong>. Surely that means that everyone followed the word count, right? – <span><strong>Dolphin Whisperer</strong></span></p><p></p><p><strong>Kalaveraztekah // <a href="https://kalaveraztekah.bandcamp.com/album/nikan-axkan" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Nikan Axkan</em></a> [May 2nd, 2025]</strong></p> <p><strong><span>AMG Himself</span></strong>: <strong>Kalaveraztekah</strong>’s <em>Nikan Axkan</em> represents hopes and dreams that I have <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yaotl-mictlan-dentro-del-manto-gris-de-chaac-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">harbored</a> <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/impureza-la-caida-de-tonatiuh-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">for</a> <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tunjum-deidades-del-inframundo-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">years</a>. When will we finally get the seminal piece of Aztec-influenced extreme metal that will whet my appetite for both death metal and Mesoamerican history?1 With aplomb, these astonishingly unsigned Aguascalientes-ites2 do the fine job of balancing two equally vital parts of a single sound. <strong>Kalaveraztekah</strong> hits like a ton of bricks, dealing in death metal that’s neither old nor school, it’s just brutal and grindy, tempered only by peyote-fueled excursions into the netherworld. The core of their sound is brutal Mexican death metal replete with blasts and machine gun kicks, neck-damaging riffing, pig-squealing guitars, brutal growls (and occasionally less-brutal screamies) synced with the snare, and an intensity that I associate with writing reviews of bands like <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/vomitory-opus-mortis-viii-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Vomitory</strong></a> or <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/angry-metal-guys-top-tenish-of-2023/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Crypta</strong></a>. It’s got the riffs and intensity with just a touch of melody, and I bask in its brutality and shreddy, squealy solos. <strong>Kalaveraztekah</strong>’s particular innovation in this sphere is the successful inclusion of traditional folk elements from the indigenous people located throughout Mexico, but which is today used almost exclusively for the Mexica people of Tenochtitlan (which is modern-day Mexico City).3 <strong>Kalaveraztekah</strong>’s focus on “Aztec Cosmogony” lends itself perfectly to the second part of their unique sound: dreamy folk soundscapes that they adapt seamlessly—and convincingly—when they shift gear. Driven by reverb-soaked soundscapes, Spanish guitars,4 and what I assume is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tlapitzalli" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">tlapitzalli</a> (flute), the band lends atmosphere and dynamics that are necessary to offset a style of death metal that at times can risk monotony. And when they meet, these two sounds crash into each other like storm fronts, creating something beautiful and terrible to behold, simultaneously brutal and thoughtful, grindy and melodic, atmospheric and immediate. I fuckin’ love this shit.</p><p>Next up on my befolkened death metal bucketlist: <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/no-maggie-olmec.gif" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">the Olmecs</a>! <strong>4.0/5.0</strong></p><p></p><p><strong><span>Dear Hollow</span>: </strong>What’s great about <strong>Kalaveraztekah </strong>is their ability to channel their heritage into an homage to the Mexica that sounds ancient, cosmic, and brutal. Featuring a blend not unlike the formidable shaman-themed <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/hellon-shaman-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Hell:on</strong></a>, the lethal fusion of cutthroat death metal and folk instruments offers balance: wild guitar solos, haunting flutes, terrifying death whistles, and ritualistic drums shine amid the no-frills <strong>Sulphur Aeon</strong>-esque riffs. While similarities to other Mexico-based Aztec- or Mayan-themed groups are unavoidable, Pre-Hispanic folk instrumentation is not mere novelty like it is for <strong>Ocelotl</strong> or <strong>Eunoë</strong>, nor is it an atmospheric saturation of bloody sacrifice in the manner of <strong>Aztlan </strong>or <strong>Cemican</strong> – rather, <strong>Kalaveraztekah </strong>uses ritualistic and ceremonial elements to amplify the cyclical cosmic grandiosity of the Five Suns in an album of both creation and devastation. <em>Nikan Axkan</em> offers riffs galore (“Tlazolteotl,” “Xiuhtekuhtli Weweteotl”), haunting overtures with spoken word that recall sacrificial ecstasy and the vast rotting realms of the gods (“Yowaltecuhtli,” “Illwikatl Meztli”), and just enough techy flavors of soaring intensity and dissonant menace to warrant diversity and complexity (“Xolotl Axolotl,” “Xiuhmolpili”). While the album is a tad overlong at nearly fifty minutes, <strong>Kalaveraztekah</strong>’s approach straddles the line between violently visceral and gloriously colossal – truly “<em>el amanecer del nuevo sol</em>” indeed. <strong>4.0/5.0</strong></p><p><strong><span>Iceberg</span></strong>: I love it when an album requires me to do some research to unwrap its mysteries. Before I came across <em>Nikan Axlan</em> I had precious little knowledge of Aztec mythology. But now, thanks to Aguascalientes natives <strong>Kalaveraztekah</strong>, I can confidently tell my Xolotls from my Axolotls. <strong>Kalaveraztekah</strong>’s sonic template skews more groove than death metal, but the inclusion of a host of traditional instruments keeps the music refreshing and thoroughly unnerving. The tribal drums and wind instruments maintain a constant otherworldly atmosphere, and the extraneous vocal additions are excellent (the frantic spoken word of “Yowaltekuhtli” and the Wilhelm screams of “Xolotl Axolotl”). <strong>Kalaveraztekah</strong> aren’t content to sit in any one corner with their instruments either. The trebly blues tone of “Yowaltekuhtli” feels ripped from a <strong>Los Lonely Boys</strong> album, and the sweeping neoclassical riff that forms the backbone of “Xiuhmolpilli” screams symphodeath BOMBAST.5 The biggest drawback for me here is that in leaning so far into the groove metal style, the BPM goes stale in its mid-paced swagger. Given everything else that <strong>Kalaveraztekah</strong> unleashes on <em>Nikan Axkan</em>, I’m left wondering what this band would sound like if they really stepped on the gas and hit that NOS button (although the opening riff of “Wewekyotl” gets pretty damn close). That quibble aside, <em>Nikan Axkan</em> is a compelling and replayable record, and a great trip into the dark, bizarre world of Aztec mythology. I highly recommend this album for those looking for some tasty groove metal with a bit of strange on the side. <strong>3.5/5.0</strong></p><p><strong><span>Alekhines Gun</span></strong>: Move over <strong>Tzompantli, </strong>there’s a new band in town. Channeling the instrumental flourishes of <strong>Nechochwen</strong> filtered through something adjacent to <strong>The Zenith Passage </strong>in production,6 <strong>Kalaveraztekah</strong> have presented a slab of agave scented folky melodic death so meticulously constructed and well produced that I’m actually stunned it’s an independent release. From the triumphant flourishes dotting the leads in “Yowaltekuhtli” to the thunderous tribal percussion-laced breakdowns in “Xiuhtekuhtli Weweteotl”, <em>Nikan Axkan</em> never wants for a variety of gripping moments. A sense of propulsion flows through the album, rendering the occasional interludes atmospheric rather than momentum-killing. Songs like “Xolotl Axolotl” feature heaps of skronk and tawngy tech only to instantly be offset by indigenous instruments and melodic atmospherics in equal measure. True, each individual track feels a bit long in the tooth and seem as though they could benefit from some editing, and I wish the bottom end didn’t sound so artificial. Nevertheless, every time I found myself thinking such thoughts I was suddenly blown away by some excellent new riff or lovely melody from wood instruments or percussion, slotting neatly into the album’s reasonable runtime. <em>Nikan Axhan</em> is an album with a remarkably matured and well-executed vision, and has been a gripping, engaging listen with each spin. Support this album. <strong>3.5/5.0</strong></p><p><strong><span></span></strong></p><p><span><b> </b></span></p><p><strong><span>T<span>h</span>yme:</span></strong> <span>Most bands continually seek ways to bring originality into their work. For Aguascalientes, Mexico, five-piece death metal outfit </span><strong><span>Kalaveraztekah</span></strong><span>, that originality comes in the form of heaving helpings of Mesoamerican folk instrumentation, expertly woven into the deathly fabric of their sophomore album </span><em><span>Nikan Azkan</span></em><span>. Right off the bat, I felt transported to the middle of a Mexican rainforest as tribal drums and folkish guitar lines cede their delicate grip to </span><strong><span>Behemoth</span></strong><span>-like death riffs and a hellish vocal attack that rivals Nergal’s (“Nikan Axkan (El Aquí y El Ahora)”). When </span><em><span>Nikan Azkan</span></em><span> isn’t channeling </span><em><span>Demigod</span></em><span> levels of viciousness, its hybrid form of folk death conjures </span><em><span>Roots</span></em><span>-era </span><strong><span>Sepultura</span></strong><span> with sludgily dirty riffs, primitive death chants, and a plethora of indigenous instruments ranging from ocarinas to Aztec death whistles (“Xiuhtekuhtli Weweteotl (El Fuego Ancestral),” “Wewekoyotl (El Coyote Viejo)”). </span><strong><span>Kalaveraztekah</span></strong><span> brings loads of atmosphere to </span><em><span>Nikan Axkan</span></em><span>, especially on “Yowaltekuhtli (Un Sueño En La Oscuridad),” with its haunting instrumentation—the guitar work is top notch here—and the desperate, breathless pleas of the narrator conjuring tons of dramatic tension. On repeated spins, the magic within </span><em><span>Nikan Axkan</span></em><span> continues to unravel. While the meshing of </span><strong><span>Kalaveraztekah</span></strong><span>‘s death metal—standard as it may be—with its folk-forward instrumentation tends to blur tracks together, enjoyment didn’t dissipate the more I listened. Fans of what </span><strong><span>Tzompantli </span></strong><span>are doing would be hard-pressed to miss this, and I suggest they don’t. <strong>3.0/5.0</strong></span></p> <p>Show 6 footnotes</p><ol><li> <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tzompantli-beating-the-drums-of-ancestral-force-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Tzompantli</strong></a> doesn’t count ’cause they’re from California and they’re only “good.” <span class="">↩</span></li><li> I believe we call them Aguascalentenses. – <span><strong>Dolph</strong></span> <span class="">↩</span></li><li> Interesting to note that the band is from Aguascalientes, because the region was, in fact, the home of the Chichimeca groups, which, according to my deep research (yup, doin’ my own research just like RFK Jr. told me to!) became a kind of archetype of “noble savages” for both the Spaniards and the Mexica (Aztecs) in the 1500s. Rather than being a single group with a shared language, the Chichimeca groups were spread throughout central Mexico, and following the discovery of silver, they were war-crimed into a decades-long conflict and eventual decline, and by the beginning of the 1600s, they “disappeared as distinguishable cultural entities” (<a href="https://www.indigenousmexico.org/articles/indigenous-aguascalientes-the-sixteenth-century-land-of-war" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Schmal, 2019</a>). Seven tribes would be the basis of a mighty seven-album conceptual cycle, my dudes. I’m just sayin’. <span class="">↩</span></li><li> Is that ironic? <span class="">↩</span></li><li> It really makes you wonder how far is heaven. – <span><strong>Dolph</strong></span> <span class="">↩</span></li><li> Surely, scooped tone production existed before <strong>The Zenith Passage</strong>. – <span><strong>Dolph</strong></span> <span class="">↩</span></li></ol> <p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/angry-metal-guys-unsigned-band-rodeo/" target="_blank">#AngryMetalGuySUnsignedBandRodeo</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/angry-metal-guys-unsigned-band-rodeo-2025/" target="_blank">#AngryMetalGuySUnsignedBandRodeo2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/aztec/" target="_blank">#Aztec</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/behemoth/" target="_blank">#Behemoth</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/crypta/" target="_blank">#Crypta</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death-metal/" target="_blank">#DeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/folk-metal/" target="_blank">#FolkMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/groove-metal/" target="_blank">#GrooveMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/hellon/" target="_blank">#HellOn</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/independent-release/" target="_blank">#IndependentRelease</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/kalaveraztekah/" target="_blank">#Kalaveraztekah</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/los-lonely-boys/" target="_blank">#LosLonelyBoys</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/may25/" target="_blank">#May25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mexican-metal/" target="_blank">#MexicanMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/morbid-angel/" target="_blank">#MorbidAngel</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/nechochwen/" target="_blank">#Nechochwen</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/nikan-axkan/" target="_blank">#NikanAxkan</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/progressive-death-metal/" target="_blank">#ProgressiveDeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/self-release/" target="_blank">#SelfRelease</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/sepultura/" target="_blank">#Sepultura</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/sulphur-aeon/" target="_blank">#SulphurAeon</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/tzompantli/" target="_blank">#Tzompantli</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/vomitory/" target="_blank">#Vomitory</a></p>