The so called “avanzada Regia” that flourished on the second half of the 90s was cursed with the sophomore slump. Resorte, Zurdok (I do prefer Hombre Sintetizador, though), Jumbo, Molotov, Plastilina Mosh all had less than stellar -both in sales and reception- second albums. I feared the same for Control Machete’s sophomore, Artilleria Pesada Presente…

The lack of cursing certainly stood out. Whereas Mucho Barato was loaded with the finest curses available in spanish, your ear could barely find the lesser insults in Artillería. Fermín IV had become a Christian and it showed. I reckon the rule for the whole trio was to keep it “family friendly”. Sure, an album ending with a song about dope being “la mera artillera”. Very family friendly.

What I think benefited Control Machete is that the lyrics felt deeper in several songs. The samples are still a magnificent collection of soul, cumbia, ranchero, and traditional Mexican music. Danzón even includes members from Buena Vista Social Club, and it’s a mix that you’d think it’d go like chalk and cheese, but it’s simply wonderful.

That same afternoon that I was getting ready to go to my friend’s graduation in Tampico, I listened to Everlast and Control Machete. Two tracks in particular threw  me on a reflective mood. Everlast’s Painkillers is brutally tragic and Control Machete’s Esperanza intertwines with that feeling.  The sample of kids voices revealing their wishes and dreams collides with the downbeat track. It’s a moment of vulnerability from the band and I loved it.

Revisiting a lot of these sophomore slumps, I find some great stuff hidden between half-baked ideas and what feels like demos -looking at you, Plastilina Mosh’s Juan Manuel- that never should’ve left the 4-track they crawled from.

For the longest of times I defended Artilleria Pesada Presente, and even now, 27 years down the line, it feels like a good album that pointed at a different direction from the band. Sadly, it was their last release as a trio, and the third one, Uno Dos Bandera, is basically a Pato Machete solo project (not a complaint, I like the guy).

I miss those years, when bands outside of Mexico City were getting big releases and you could easily buy them anywhere. Too many of those albums are out of print and it sucks, because they should get a re-evaluation. In fact, here’s my piece on Zurdok’s Hombre Sintetizador. Enjoy.

-Sam J. Valdés López