The Mexicans of Cemican1 are a weird bunch. They deliver a mix of harsh Death Metal and contemporary interpretations of long-gone South American (or Mayan) folk. Ritualistic meditations of the kind we usually hear from Northern Europe.
It appears that the Yucatan is the band’s preferred playground. An area, yours truly here knows pretty well. Extensive travels through dark jungles fondly remembered and a gazillion stoneheaps duly visited. But I digress, this would be fodder for a travel blog, not this zine. Back to Cemican, ’tis a band with a strange addiction to Mayan ideology, worldview, mysticism, and the universe. Well, hells bells, that’s some vast playground right there. So, let the mighty Kukulkan2 speak then.
Meet U k ‘u’ uk’ankil Mayakaaj, the band’s latest concoction. RMR mgt is told that this means Mayan Resistance. Nothing we could independently verify, though. They’re long dead, gone, and lost to the future. Cemican present a weird blend of technically advanced and often thrashy Folk and Death Metal with a tribal-imbued pagan death wish. Just go ahead and fire up the powerful first track, Kukulkán Wakah Chan. This one’s a powerhouse of ritualistic Forest Metal of the other kind. Stirred through the jungle on the wings of stellar yet somehwat dishevelled choruses and group chants.
You’ll get an ebb and flow of seriously cinematic soundscapes studded with typical, but also almost shamanic musings. All of that leads into a South American3 version of what Heilung would become if only they moved into the fetid heat of the mid-section of the Americas. Viaje Astral Del Quetzal De Fuego confirms the old saying that if war drums are present, the metal will be great. Them double blasts almost whacked us out of our comfy high-backed seats whenever the track let loose. That’s Pagan Metal with a powerful rhythm section to snap a few necks, should some redneck metalhead try to headbang to this tune.
And yet, all that stomping about jungles and mighty shrines won’t hide a certain lack of direction. U k ‘u’ uk’ankil Mayakaaj produces a bunch of pretty neat tracks, such as Kukulkán Wakah Chan, Viaje Astral Del Quetzal De Fuego, or again Yóok ‘ol kaab Maya. And those all come with powerful rhythms, abundant use of archaic instruments, and Cemican‘s famously disjointed chorus. But then, suddenly, they move away from Chichén Itzà4 and venture into the jungles of the Chiapas and towards Guatemala. In other words, unplugged ditties appear kinda helter-skelter. And whilst the RMR crew appreciates a good piece of Pagan Folk or two, these excursions positively kill the momentum of the piece.
And amongst the abundant humming, drumming, and piping, suddenly commercial enterprises such as ¿Dónde estás?5 appear. Don’t get me wrong, in and of itself, the track is a fine rock song. But we found it to make little sense on this pagan-infested tracklist.
In the end, U k ‘u’ uk’ankil Mayakaaj again demonstrates that the pathway to great records is paved with instances of serious culling of fatty parts and brutal self-editing. And this record contains none of it, unfortunately. But Cemican also showcased often stellar songsmithing. And theirs is a ruthless art. All ideas present of the seven-piece seemingly got some attention and ended in sonic excursions of all kinds. This record truly is a wild ride. One can feel the terrible vibes of an ancient, dead culture come to life yet again. But on the other side, the output is so cinematic at times that one (almost) expects Indiana Jones to jump out of the jungle suddenly.
Yet, the intricate patterns and sound structures of the band’s meandering explorations risk losing the listener after a while. And this despite the outstanding musical prowess on full display. Put differently, the relatively high rating of this record is proof positive of this band’s outstanding savoir-faire. If they’re able to apply constraint in any future offering, this crew is sure that we’ll be met with Top 10 material next time around.
Record Rating: 7/10 | Label: M-Theory Audio | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 31 October 2025