HARD NOISE: BRUJERIA // Absoluta Metal Violencia Por Debajo

Mexican extreme metallers Brujeria will be on our shores for the first time ever this October to treat us to their brand of politically charged metal and mayhem and they are bringing Napalm Death and Lock Up along for the ride.

Hysteria caught up with vocalist and originales hombres Juan Brujo ahead of the tour to talk Pocho Aztlan, Trump, the reawakening of Brujeria now that their members can put more time into the band and what they have planned next.

It’s been sixteen years since Brujeria released their last record, Brujerizmo, which also happened to be the last with founding members Asesino and Güero Sin Fe, but this doesn’t mean that the Mexicans have lost any ferocity or passion when it comes to making music.

In fact, they initially didn’t even really realise it had been so long between records.

“We did a tour with the last album, and once we started touring, time went by so fast. Years went by and when we finally stopped and looked and realised just how much time had gone, we were like whoa. Better write another album!” Brujo laughs.

“We want to keep it going now. We like it and it’s working so we want to keep it going and we want to have another album out a lot sooner than sixteen years like the last one,” Brujo continues, still laughing.

Pocho Azltan is, as mentioned, an album that is extremely politically charged and while the members are very vocal in their disdain of President Trump (check out their one off single Viva Presidente Trump!), there are many other issues in Mexico that also get a look in when they are looking for inspiration to write.

“There are different stories that we hear and live through. The crazy stories about cartels and drug dealers. All that stuff that gets our attention and we like to sing about it,” Brujo explains.

But at this stage, there are at least two albums worth of material, just on Trump, that litter the floor of Brujo’s studio he says, so it’s safe to say that another album will be coming through sooner rather than later.

“We’ve actually just finished another Trump song this week, and I think I might just throw it out there on the internet, because I can’t wait to get it out there!” Brujo says.

Aside from picking apart the ‘Leader of the Free World’, Brujeria have their sights set on a lot more touring and writing as they move forward.

Brujo explains that the band are really enjoying touring and getting out there more and they have in fact, just come off a rather big European tour where he laughs, that he is trying to teach everyone Spanish by playing live as much as he can.

“There are different stories that we hear and live through. The crazy stories about cartels and drug dealers. All that stuff that gets our attention and we like to sing about it.”
[BRUJO]

But it’s the Australian tour with their brothers in Napalm Death and Lock Up that really has them excited.

“I’ve never been and I never thought I’d go there! It’s going to be great and I can’t wait to get down there. I am not even doing any research! I’m just going to go and learn the hard way or the good way, I don’t know!” Brujo laughs.

It’s going to be a busy tour for the band with seven shows in New Zealand and Australia, across nine days, but Brujo says spare a thought for Shane Embury as the man is pulling triple duties on every show for all three bands.

“It’s almost going to be the Shane Embury show down there,” Brujo jokes.

“But he loves doing it and it’s part of the fun.”

Sharing Embury is something the band have had to work around for quite some time. While they are used to it, it’s also the other big reason why there hasn’t been an album for almost two decades.

“Yeah, he is a really busy guy, and sometimes he can’t even make our live shows. So we have substitutes and different band members waiting on the side to pick up the slack if anybody can’t make it,” Brujo says.

“Everyone in our band has always had different bands that were more important, or their real job was more important. Ever since we started back in the nineties, there wasn’t really any time for Brujeria so we were lucky to even make records and tour back then. But now, now we have the time, even if we do have a replacement every now and then for someone who can’t make the live show.”

With their sights now firmly set on another album to be released very soon, and a lot more touring coming up, we can safely say that for now at least, Brujeria is well and truly back in the game and ready to take on anyone that gets in their way.