Tzompantli - Beating The Drums Of Ancestral Force

Tzompantli are one of those bands that are unknown, but deserve more attention once you hear them. The started up in 2019 out of California as two guys create ‘prehispanic’ themed Death Doom that took the elements of a band like Raxa and mixed it with Temple of Scorn for some dissonant, heavy, typical Death Doom that was solid but the themes were grabbing enough along with the subtle use of folk and traditional elements back in 2019. 20 Buck Spin picked them up in 2022 for their official debut, which was right at home alongside other Death Doom heavys like Worm for just creating sheer weighty music through riffs and caveman vocals, but to really break out Tzompantli needed something more to really give them that edge to separate them from the other artists. Worm had their thing with their swamp styled doom, Terminal Nation was a mix of catchy Hardcore/ Thrash meets Dismember, so the competition on the label had an upper hand. However, Big O)))- vocals, guitars and drums and various instruments galore- expanded on the Tzompantli vision and 2 years later fans get “Beating The Drums Of Ancestral Force.” Adding an arsenal of a bunch of other members helped round out the band and give them the sound they really needed.

The album is still very Death Doom rooted, especially in the beginning, but as it progresses one can really see how it stands on its own not only from other artists on the label, but also from the Tzompantli discography so far. The themes and music are still very much that ‘prehispanic’- think like Mayan and Aztec style- and the sounds of the likes of Raxa in the Death Doom world are certainly present. Tracks like the opening ‘Tetzahuitl’ are lumbering, slow, and guttural but not quite Funeral Doom or Worm guttural, making it feel like the listener is more being marched to their death versus drowning in quicksand. With the addition of more guitars and bass and better drumming, the result is a thunderous approach that is still raucous. While G-Bone is longer with the group on bass, those were passed to ED who creates quite the rumble, and the live drums from Erol Ulug just sound more organic, especially later down the line. Aside from Big O))) and his Sunn O))) presence in trying to create as thick and crushing a sound as possible without breaking the amp, the extra three guitars just add a whole new layer of sound to create that crushing effect expected from Death Doom. It should be noted that this band is a weighty listen and not for the typical metal fan to digest. Even the more Death Metal tinged Cannibal Corpse style rager like ‘Tiayohualli’ is slow and ponderous but can still stir a mosh pit.

It takes some time as the first half of the album sounds a bit of the same and more like the debut, but once ‘Tetzaviztli’ hits it is clear the band is going for a bigger, better direction. The Soulfly styled tribal drums breathe new life amongst the doom and gloom guitars and the overall tone is more foreboding, like a storm coming, versus bludgeoning and a steamroller to the death of the ear. Layered vocals between growls and chants will appeal to the likes of more recent Rotting Christ without the symphonic grandeur as the band sticks to their roots of basic, but effective sound. Random shouts and chants amongst the somewhat melodic riffs which actually drown out the vocals at times, not the other way around, help enhance the experience as well. Tzompantli also try to up the ‘fast factor’ with tracks like ‘Otlica Mictlan’ which tries to trade more Death Metal for Doom, but adds in melodic, grim guitar melodies and shouted vocals that are like that from Ex Deo as opposed the guttural growls that cannot be understood. These tracks are shorter and more digestible versus the longer, more ‘enhanced’ ones, but those are also worth looking into for the layers of depth and growth from the band.

Epic touches do follow the Nile path a bit, especially the closing ‘Icnocuicatl’ which starts out with sweeping, grand riffs, and then quiets down for a bit of a darker turn, clean vocals and just that great build up before the heavier sections come in. Like a good Nile or Behemoth track (of recent times), the build up really draws in the listener and it just overall sounds epic, without the epic production or elements. There are no Disney choirs, no lush symphonics, no ten trumpets to announce arrival, just the vocals, drums, and guitars, bringing some of the best parts of Doom in to balance with the Death Metal bits. If every track from Tzompantli had this kind of grab, and maybe the time length trimmed a bit, then this album would have been perfect. It is near that though. Fans looking for Death Doom that is atmospherically charged, somewhat unique and stepped in heritage, and knows how to create raging tracks and also gloomy introspective ones will find “Beating The Drums Of Ancestral Force” certainly worth listening to for a near spiritual ride that dares to invoke the ancestors. Prepare to go in for a weighty listen, but come out feeling refreshed by innovation and lack of monotone. Tzompantli have stepped up their game and came to play ball with this one amongst the skulls and bones that makes up the court they play in.

4 / 5 STARS



1. Tetzahuitl
2. Tiayohualli
3. Tlaloc Icuic
4. Chichimecatl
5. Tetzaviztli
6. Otlica Mictlan
7. Icnocuicatl