Vórtize tapped into something special with 2022’s debut album, ¡Tienes Que Luchar!. A traditional heavy metal solo project of Valparaíso, Chile’s Javier “Heavier Mortiz” Ortiz (also of Nube Negra bands Demoniac and Oldeath), the album transcribed Ortiz’s frustrations with a world gone mad into a net positive; even in the maelstrom of catchy riffs and thoughtful compositions, the honest, soulful passion is what truly won me over. It was whippy and quick — Slough Feg and latter-era Satan were immediate comparisons to my Northern Hemispheric ears — but the more I listen to and explore Latin American heavy metal, the more that feels like a disservice, or at the very least, like leaving out a crucial piece of the puzzle.
Understanding the importance of first impressions, the opening track, “Dentro del Vórtice” begins with a chorus from the multitude of vocalists featured on the album before leaping into the vortex. The lead guitar tells the story over shifting riffs, walking bass lines, and driving, intuitive drumming that begin to swirl around the soundscape as though picking up force and speed in an impressive display of songcraft. Romi Huerta Núñez, whose soulful vocal performance was a highlight of the debut, is a more than welcome return on “Suspiro En La Eternidad.” The passion and conviction in her voice is full of strength born from a place of pain and hardship as the music chorus crescendos and rises above the darkness. The classical guitar solo adds a touch of flamenco, brilliantly and cleanly layered atop the louder instruments in a testament to the work behind the boards of Fabián Valdés (also the dial ‘n’ lever wizard behind the debut, as well as Demoniac, Oldeath, and Chilean thrashers Critical Defiance). The production this time around is much more clean and full compared to the thinner, “old metal” approach of ¡Tienes Que Luchar! Warm and full, using the benefits of modern production without letting it get overcooked or sacrificing dynamics for loudness.
The hooks keep coming on the infectious “Capa sin Héroe” that seamlessly melds a light-hearted bounce into a speed metal attack with a catchy chorus that’s been stuck in my head since the first spin of the latest Vórtize. The vocals center around a harmonious choir of gang-sung vocals that swirl in, out, and around traded leads that come from a place of organic inspiration, like grabbing the mic in a fit of fury before a blistering solo brings the guitar back to the forefront to bring it on home with some twin lead work. “El Todo” rounds out the A-side, slowing things down for a “tears in the rain” (not the Medieval Steel song) feel, adding another dimension of passion for the band to work with.
Were I to have a gleaming sword raised above my chest and aimed for my heart and demanded to choose a favorite song on Desde Bajo Tierra, I could probably answer with nervous confidence that’s “Tempestad.” Not only does the song bring back the whistle solo (keeping that feeling of carefree effortlessness aflame) from the debut and the flamenco touches at its conclusion, but it’s got a bit of everything flying around the nexus of Vórtize’s whirlwind. Soulful lead playing, cheeky bass, and agile riffery surge across the composition. The chorus of voices provide an updraft to support Remi’s most fiery performance of either record–seriously, where did Ortiz find this woman?! It’s not that she’s the most powerhouse belter, but her emotional delivery does one hell of a job of delivering a wallop to the ol’ chest organ.
“Nada Nos Detendrá” instantly makes me second guess my decision, which, of course means the sword has pierced my heart and I have tragically perished due to a heroic inability to choose. It’s okay, though, because fuck me if this isn’t heavy metal heaven. (Not the Heavy Load song.) The high-speed running kicks keep the blood pounding as the explosive drums carry the music through technical but smooth and melodic changes, the gang vocal choir once again coming in to provide extra impact (“¡Dime quiero saber la verdad!”/”Say I want to know the truth!”) just when it counts most–after all, one cannot be fighting the world (not the Manowar song) by oneself. The best solo of the record is found here, kicking off over an Iron Maiden-esque swagger and accelerating across the final minutes of the track into a blitz of finger-tapping fury.
Things slow down again on “Quizás,” built around a fingerpicked guitar melody and accompanied by the vocal horde and accentuated by woodwind-esque synths in a somber, almost hymnal reflective number before “Siempre Metal” (“Always Metal”) brings Desde Bajo Tierra to a logical conclusion. An apt and fitting closer, an anthem of dedication to why this music is so important to those that understand it–it’s a counteroffensive to a world that would bring us down. If we have nothing else, at least we have heavy metal.
Bandcamp descriptions can be deceiving, but when Vórtize say they are delivering “45+ minutes of Heavy Metal in Spanish loaded with genuine feeling” it sums up the record in one line more than my attempt to over explain it ever could, and yet I still feel like I can’t quite convey the magic of the emotion in the way the music of the record does. And those forty-nine minutes pass like a half an hour! It’s a rallying cry for metaleros that speak any language with their tongue and one with their heart, all while conveying proudly what makes the Chilean scene so special in the current metal lexicon–steadfastly true and unabashedly creative on a very personal level. While Vórtize is labelled as a “one-man project,” in reality, nothing could be further from the truth. It’s a group of friends, compatriots, musicians, and warriors of iron coming together to bring the vision of one man to life. While Ortiz may be the eye of the beast, brilliantly directing its trajectory, composition, and the bulk of the playing, it’s the winds that swirl around him that make Vórtize such a tempest to be reckoned with. Feel the force of the Chilean storm of steel!
Epilogue: Unless my research is incorrect, the following bands all include personnel involved in the bringing the latest from Vórtize to life, heeding the call of True Heavy Metal and proudly flying the flag for Chile: Demoniac, Trascendencia, Poder Metal, Despertar, Critical Defiance, Mental Devastation, Mayhemic, Metalcholicnight, Cenagal, Calvario, The Aggressor, Exhomon, Forked, Nonhkult, Steel Back, Asedio, Beelzebuth, Cathalepsy, Steel Rain, Oldeath, Terror Strike, Deviants
