Raxa - MezoVedic (2008)

MezoVedic is the 3rd album in 3 years from Lefthander's Raxa project, and it's thus far my favorite. Whereas Rabinal Achi has lost a lot of its staying power, the writing on MezoVedic is such that it thrives well after you listen to its mystical progressions, a wondrous journey into the ancient culture of Central America. Yes, I often find myself thinking back towards this album, eager to give another listen, though it's not quite perfect. The major improvement here is in the guitars, they no longer feel like mindless drudging serving only to enhance the synthesizer-scapes with a low end; instead, they are riffy and a pretty important piece of this puzzle. There are sequences in which they play the major role, over the drums, bridging more tranquil ambient and folk segments of the songs.

Another difference is that more of the vocals and song titles are in English...which I'm not sure I prefer, as I feel the subject matter has more impact in its native tongue. But in all likelihood this will help increase Raxa's listeners, since so many suffer from a language barrier in their musical choice. The production of MezoVedic is the richest of the three albums, as each synth swells, acoustic glistens and vocal scrapes the guttural bottom edge of Lefthander's range. It feels the most thought out, and the songs, though longer than the previous works, are much stronger on average.

"Matenextic Peutica" is over 8 minutes of lush tribal beauty, with perfectly placed ambient synths that eventually roll into a tranquil acoustic above the percussion. The keyboards that follow are quite proggy over the driving chords, and the song has some sheer metal breaks. "Ember Beads of Time" starts with another acoustic part, though this one feels somewhat outside the Mesoamerican theme. "Zul's Howling in Necrolatric Bubastis" is one of the catchier bits on the album, opening with some great synths and cheesy keyboard claptrap drumming that I actually found endearing, before the chugging doom. "On the Twisted Way to the Eagle Tribe" has some groovy bass alongside its grim acoustics, and "Venus" is a brief ambient techno break that leads into the graceful, gliding doom of "Even, Wept Over the Absent". Another great track is "Darker Than Pralayan Night", which creeps along with a subtle texture but builds a wonderful, gothic pattern of notes. "Incumbent Kadingirra" returns to a tribal metal onslaught, and the album closes with the strong instrumental "Calm in the Hall of Two Truths", evoking a glorious melody.

At hours of the rare drowsiness
Nephritis beads are precise time
Click in a step
Beating off a rhythm of my life

MezoVedic probably takes the most liberties with its thematic material, as far as the music it often doesn't differ from other gothic/death/doom artists, but there is just enough of the remnant beauty of hteir debut Oxlahun Ti Ku to maintain consistency. The album sounds quite good, certainly a cleaner and more professional offering than his previous two. The lyrics are in a perfect Eng-russ and beautifully evoke the images of ritual and living in Raxa's historic world. This is the 'go-to' album as far as this band, and it slightly edges out Oxlahun Ti Ki for the best overall work.

Highlights: Matenextic Peutica, Zul's Howling in Necrolatric Bubastis, Darker Than Pralayan Night

Verdict: Win [8.5/10] (Remember this antic night!)

http://lefthander.musica.mustdie.ru/

Raxa - Rabinal Achi (2007)

Rabinal Achi, the sophomore effort from Russian Raxa, surprises me, because my fondness for the album has taken a nosedive since I first listened and loved it. All the components remain in place from the debut Oxlahun Ti Ku: the guttural vocals, the heavy use of keyboards, vocal samples, and ancient Latin instrumentation to create a place of both solitude and doom, documenting the rise and fall of a culture. But Rabinal Achi takes on a slightly more progressive edge, for example, Lefthander uses a few more clean vocals, the tones sound thinner, and less pure chug is used to drive all its components. This is nothing to scoff at, and the album still qualifies as good, but it feels subdued in comparison to its predecessor, and certainly when compared to the later MezoVedic.

"U Nabe Banbal" is the intro, a dark ambient piece with some vocal sample (spoken and singing), followed with "U Nabemul Ca Chau Queche-Achi", which roils with beautiful chords and then breaks into a very gothic doom sequence with pianos and dirtied, but cleaner vocals that feel like a narrative. Left breaks out his cleaner vox later in the track, but overall it doesn't feel like such a strong piece. "U Nabemul Ca Chau Rabinal-Achi" is a step up, with a gong to create some mystique over the playful tribal rituals of the synth, and then a brutal wall of chug. "Mun" features a female guest vocalist Yana Veva, whose ethereal tones soar over the new age vibe of the track. "U Camul Ca Chau Queche-Achi" is a little dorky sounding, but there are some sparse passages of throaty vocals and percussion which make for a nice lead-in to the death and doom. "Roxmul Ca Chau Rabinal-Achi" is dull save for its windy ambient break around 2:30, but "Roxmul Ca Chau Queche-Achi" is one of the more solid tracks, with nice pianos and strings and a powerful feel to its mix. The album ends in "U Cahmul Ca Chau Rabinal-Achi", another track which starts rather weakly but grows in strength as it proceeds and explores the further tribal boundaries of its vision.

Some albums grow on you over the years, but Rabinal Achi is one that has decayed on me. I can recall being blown away on the first listen, but since it has devolved to just passing by through its atmosphere. It's my least favorite of the three Raxa works released thus far, but even this contains hints at Lefthander's skill and it's impressive enough as a one man effort.

Highlights: U Nabemul Ca Chau Rabinal-Achi, Roxmul Ca Chau Queche-Achi

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://lefthander.musica.mustdie.ru/

Raxa - Oxlahun Ti Ku (2006)

It's strange to me that you have to travel to Russia to find some of the greatest Mayan folk metal ever conceived (also some of the ONLY Mayan folk metal ever conceived), but Raxa is the living proof. This is perhaps the best of the many projects of the prolific and brilliant Lefthander, who performs all of the instrumentation here. The style is death and doom with a heavy use of keyboards to conjure archaic atmospheres, Left has a glorious take on the subject matter which reminds me a little of the synth laden projects of Swedish maestro Dan Swanö (Moontower, Karaboudjan, only not as prog or weird), but with its own distinct voice.

Unlike Lefthander's gothic/melodic/doom project Sea of Desperation, the Raxa material is highly consistent and truly immersive. Left opens a window, and you look through, slowly becoming drawn to the ancient cultures and landscapes that he is dreaming forth. Samples, percussion, and gorgeous synths all simmer into the imagination, while chords and chugs drive the compositions into a metallic dirge. Of the three albums thus far, Oxlahun Ti Ku is the most rough about the edges, yet even here I found nothing but 40 minutes of captivation and soul searching in a culture I have never known first hand.

"Ni Cah Raxa" inaugurates the epic with lush synth vegetation and birds chirping, flutes ringing out across ancient, crumbling structures before a powerful, mystic synth line rolls forward. The title track lays down some low ch-ch-ch-chug, which of its own accord might not be so interesting, but applied to the synths and Lefthander's deep grunts creates a portal to the brutal and beautiful experience. "Tzonimolco" builds a freakish, insect-like ambient loop and some distant vocal samples and percussion into a brooding, low string synth that resounds like a survival horror film set deep in a South American rain forest. And then comes forth the doom. "Mimixcoa Icuic" gets brutal, with an eerie synth alongside the slow grinding of its guitars, but also has some moments of stark beauty. "Citialin Calpolli" is a slow ascent to the elder skies, and the secrets within, through wondrous use of strings and keyboards. Perhaps here of any song on the album, the drum machine does feel a little weak, but never too distracting.

The latter half of the album is equally strong, led by the thundering chug undergrowth of "Xippe Totec" and the more Therion-esque grace of "Tlaloc". "Iamat" debuts with a double bass drive and some lovely synths and flutes, while Left's voice pans and echoes across the landscape. "Ma Xipatinem" is another beautiful, elegaic piece with some creepy vocal samples that haunt the bridge, and the album ends with the delightful instrumental "Nahua Cochi", casting it out into that same ceremonial night from which it manifested.

Like his even more prolific countryman Senmuth, Lefthander is a one man force...clearly capable of writing in several instruments and mixing his own album very well. There is a good balance here, though like Senmuth, the guitar sound is not quite strong enough yet. But in lieu of that, this is a great debut album which is well worth a listen...it is high time we heard more folkish/atmospheric metal covering the Central and South Americas, regardless of who conceives it.

Highlights: Tzonimolco, Iamat, Ma Xipatinem

Verdict: Win [8.25/10]

http://lefthander.musica.mustdie.ru/