TZOMPANTLI, the traditional and Indigenous death doom collective led by XIBALBA guitarist Brian Itztlakamayeh Ortiz, have released a surprise EP, "Temilotzin", via 20 Buck Spin. The record came out today, timed to Indigenous Peoples' Day, and is streaming in full below.
Don't expect the crushing riffs the band built its name on. "Temilotzin" puts the spotlight on the traditional music that has always run underneath TZOMPANTLI's heaviness: it's acoustic, sung entirely in Náhuatl, and much of the lyrical material is drawn from the words of Náhuatl warrior-poets. The three songs are exclusive to the EP and won't reappear on the next full-length.
The lineup for the session is a nine-strong "tribe": Ortiz, Manzig Yohualli Sanchez, Eric Cuillotic Delgado, Mateotl Boughton, Jason Katulu Brunes, Erol Ulug, Alejandro Aranda, Mateotl Gonzalez and Justin Ton. Alongside guitars and bass, the recording features huehuetl drums and other percussion, death whistles, flutes, shells, shakers and güiros. The artwork is by Antonio Hdz.
Ortiz describes the release as deeply personal. Beyond honoring the band's ancestors and Indigenous peoples, it was written after he lost his dog and best friend, Soprano, along with other family members and friends. The title pays tribute to Temilotzin, a warrior-poet remembered for a poem about friendship and for his bond with Cuauhtémoc, the last Mexica emperor. "May our ancestors, family, and friends remain close. May their voices endure. May we continue to remember," he says.
The band calls the EP "a calm before the storm": TZOMPANTLI's third album, which will again fuse traditional elements with their trademark death doom, is due in 2027, with details promised early in the year. It will follow "Tlazcaltiliztli" (2022) and "Beating The Drums Of Ancestral Force" (2024).
"Temilotzin" tracklist:
- Temilotzin
- Xolotl
- Nitlayocoya
"Temilotzin" is available on Bandcamp as a pay-what-you-want download this week, and on all streaming platforms.