By Rodrigo Ricardo @hhdrums
I get the impression that the Director of Zonagirante.com has a fixation with what Central America has to offer to Rock in recent times. I don't know if he has interests beyond academics, but the situation is strange… A few days ago, I received from you links to several new musical projects from all over Latin America, and, suspiciously, I found that what inspired me to write, what caught my attention, was Project Lizard, A band from Tijuana made up of Anthony and Willy on guitars; Bryan on bass; Linda on vocals, keyboards, and guitar; Elena on vocals; and Marco on drums. They caught my attention because their self-titled EP brings together several interesting influences. I must begin by saying that the punk spirit stands out in these guys. And not a bubblegum punk-rock-pop like Simple Plan or New Found Glory. It's an essence like the one you can appreciate in seminal Californian bands like Pennywise, No Use for a Name, or the early days of The Offspring: raw and dark, without neglecting the melodic, which is incorporated very accurately by the female voices. The opening and closing songs of this work (Hysteria y The Mission, respectively) are a clear example of what I'm saying.
However, in the journey along the short path that is the EP (it lasts 13 minutes… what's more Punk than that?) I found that they use progressive elements (Into Darkness), Psychobilly (Megaman) and Ska (Summer Night), which, combined with their powers and Punk Rock, result in a solid offering from this great band. If they were inspired by the chameleon to choose their name and define their sound, they couldn't have found a better parallel.
In terms of production, this work is well put together. The instruments are clear, without overpowering each other or drowning out the vocals (although I would have added a little more volume to the male vocals and some effects to all of them). They all have a consistent level of skill and mastery, and They do a well-crafted and well-performed vocal harmony job.
Applause, from me, for this well-conceived musical work. Although Project Lizard's proposal has some elements that listeners might be familiar with, They will encounter a different and greatly enjoyable sound. which will leave them wondering what they'll come up with next.
(After writing these lines, analyzing what I wrote at the beginning, I think I'm the one who's fixated on it…) My sincerest apologies to the Director…)
