Originally written by Jason Jordan.
I agreed wholeheartedly with Mooring’s assessment of Totimoshi’s ¿Mysterioso? (2001). The Crucial Blast reissue (2005) of their second full-length served as my introduction too, and though I commended the quirkiness of ¿Mysterioso?, I felt the word “good” described it most accurately. Ultimately, Ladron doesn’t seem to be a step backwards or forwards for a number of reasons.
Whereas the driven ¿M? embraced an upbeat approach, primarily, their latest hops around, and as a result, comes across as slightly unbalanced in the tempo department. Still honing a sound that brings to mind Melvins, Soundgarden, and lately, Mastodon, the sludgy opener “Ladron” displays its influences like the fan of a peacock. Rejecting the notion of exhilaration from the get-go, “Ladron” unravels in a lazy, laid back manner until it hits full speed at the halfway mark of its 6+-minute length. The guitar work especially conjures the Mastodon duo, while Aguilar (vocals, guitars) recalls Cornell (Audioslave, ex-Soundgarden) at his raspiest. During the unsettling moments of Ladron, Aguilar pushes his voice to the limit – to the point that it almost gives out.
“In Virgo” is sluggish for the most part, though “The Dance of Snakes” sees Totimoshi vary their M.O. as they did on the title track by switching between airy calm sections and congested tense ones. The bass – courtesy of Meg, the only female – stands out as it did on ¿Mysterioso? and is an achievement in and of itself. After all, bassists seldom receive the credit they deserve. Resembling Soundgarden more closely than any other, “Gods of Earth” leads to the Mastodon-y “Viva Zapata,” and eventually to the contemplative, American Indian vibes of “To the Fire” and melancholic, Southern twangs of “These Meanings” – songs found between more standard fare.
If you’ve had great experiences with albums that are out of the ordinary – and are hard to pinpoint stylistically – then Totimoshi as a band will do you right. Ladron isn’t the best place to start, however, because ¿Mysterioso? is more focused overall. This one’s good, too, but feels slightly uneven. No major progression or regression here.
