Tzompantli, the indigenous death/doom metal led by Xibalba member Brian “Itztlakamayeh” Ortiz, have just released their sophomore album Beating The Drums Of Ancestral Force on 20 Buck Spin. Fleshed out by members of members of Civerous, Dead Heat, Teeth, and more, the album was recorded, produced, mixed, and mastered by Erol Ulug, and it’s 42 minutes of near-total brutality with lyrical themes inspired by the undertold stories of the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica and the effects of the Spanish conquest of that area. For a deeper dive into the specific themes, Brian has given us a track-by-track breakdown of the full LP. Stream it and read on for what he had to say…
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TRACK-BY-TRACK BREAKDOWN OF TZOMPANTLI’s BEATING THE DRUMS OF ANCESTRAL FORCE by BRIAN ORTIZ
“Tetzahuitl”
This song is about the premonitions that Emperor Moctezuma and other teopixqui (priests) were having that foresaw the Spanish coming.
“Tlayohualli”
It’s about La Noche Triste (the night of sorrows), where the Mexica fought off and removed the Spanish and their Indigenous allies from Tenochtitlan. It describes the battle and triumph of the night but also the aftermath and confusion of becoming sick from being exposed to illnesses that the Mexica had no tolerance or immunity to, which would lead to their downfall. It’s everything you could want from a death doom song: it’s strong, powerful, dramatic, and laments in a way that should move you.
“Tlaloc Icuic”
This is a Hymn for Tlaloc, the “god” of rain, thunder, lightning, and water. This song is sung entirely in Nauhuatl. Some of the percussion instruments are mostly improvised and we tuned the guitars down a step and they were written on the spot.
“Chichimecatl”
This song is about the Chichimeca, or as the Spanish would call them, ‘La Gran Chichimeca,’ which is an umbrella term for different tribes from the north. They were feared for their brutality and mastery in warfare. This is why they were never conquered by the Spanish and their allies. I wanted this song to reflect the power of the Chichimecas.
“Tetzaviztli”
This is another Hymn but for Huitzilopochtli, who was the god of war and the lord of sun and fire. He’s also the Patron deity of the Mexica. It’s sung mostly in English but there is a passage that is sung in Nauhatl as well. I wanted this song to be a journey through ritual and fire.
“Otlica Mictlan”
This song is about the journey through the underworld after death. There were different levels to the underworld which ultimately led to the individual’s essence being free. It is such a beautiful take on human transcendence into the next realm.
“Icnocuicatl”
When I came up with the intro riff I knew this song had to be mournful. This song is about post-conquest Mesoamerica and what the Mexica as well as many other tribes felt about having their culture and essences drained from them. As well as populations being wiped out due to disease. But also there’s strength, optimism, and resistance that is lingering inside them knowing the people of the sun will rise again.