THE CRITICAL PAPARAZZIHONG KONG BLOOD OPERA
Noiselab, Mexico ****
Rating: 82
By Jean-Stephane Beriot
The awesome blog Brooklyn Vegan posted about this hard rock Mexican band a few months ago and I was magnetically attracted right away. Later on, our guru Carlinhos sent me a physical edition of The Critical Paparazzi, their first and exceptionally confident EP. Unlike most of the bands we get from our friends down the border, they don’t come from Monterrey, Guadalajara or Mexico City; they are from Hermosillo which I suppose is a smaller province city. Hong Kong Blood Opera has quickly become my second favorite hard rock Latin band after my beloved Descartes A Kant. They apparently won some sort of rock contest sponsored by a cell phone provider; I don’t know what the dynamic of that contest was, but what an unconventional winner anyhow. We have also found another amazing producer in Mexican rock, his name is Yamil Rezc (Le Baron, Subdivision, and Chetes) and I would put him in the level of Emanuel del Real (Natalia Lafourcade, Ely Guerra and Austin TV). The Critical Paparazzi is almost an alien in Latin Rock, and straight up an essential for the most aggressive rock there can be. I’ve heard great things about their live shows in New York and can’t wait to see them live. This is definitely not for everyone; some would never be able to digest it, but this is one of the edgier albums we’ve talked about at Club Fonograma, even harder than Triangulo de Amor Bizarro. A total of five extraordinary tracks that live and breathe rock, highlights include “Killing Joke” and “Crazy Mexican Scientists." We shouldn't have to wait too long for a full offering from this great breakthrough.