U Kuukankil Mayakaaj

U kuukankil Mayakaaj is the latest from Mexican folk metal warriors Cemican. 

The music of Cemican – whose name means “the duality of life and death” in the Aztecan language of Nahuatl (spoken by 2 million people in Central Mexico) – incorporates elements of the legends, mysticism and ideologies of ancient Mexican culture. Compared by Revolver to “Slipknot scoring Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto,’” while praised by Brooklyn Vegan for “combining indigenous instrumentation with Headbanger’s Ball-worthy riffage” the group combine the modern instrumentation of a metal band with traditional pre-Hispanic instruments. Their theatrical appearance complete with native-inspired wear and make-up makes for a highly visual performance, as evidenced by their music videos and countless performances in Mexico, Latin America and Europe..