Country: Germany
Genre: Death metal
Full length: Legend
Format: Digital album
Label: Bitume Prods
Release date: January 30, 2026
In 2010, Robert Rodriguez released a grindhouse-inspired film, “Machete,” about an ex-Federale seeking vengeance after being framed in an assassination conspiracy, unleashing a rampage of senseless brutality. It was highly praised as an independent production and was followed by a sequel in which Danny Trejo’s antihero confronts arms traffickers and drug cartels. A second installment is currently under consideration, but production has faced delays.
The political commentary and parody of action schlock in those movies have been passionately embraced by Cruenta Venganza, with 2013’s “Maybe the Legend Is Better” and 2016’s “The Man, the Myth, the Legend,” which set his narrative to thrashing death metal crafted to breathe additional life into the film. From what I’ve gathered, this duo came together solely to create metal operas inspired by the ultra-campy, ultra-violent cult classics.
I never managed to see either film or listen to Cruenta Venganza's first two albums, but learning about Rodriguez’s projects sparked my curiosity to explore everything, which brings us to the third act. “Legend” is based on a film that has yet to be produced (and is intended to be set in outer space), but it’s likely rooted in the storyline and character development, with the band heavily relying on their own imagination to tell the ongoing saga.
The cover artwork resembles something out of “Dune” or “The Gunslinger,” which aligns perfectly with the concept the band pursue in their songs. Although surpassing Voivod in blending metal with science fiction/fantasy seems nearly impossible, Cruenta Venganza manages to embody space slasher fiction with bass-heavy death metal, a thrashy edge, melodic death metal, black metal and lyrical themes closely mirror the excessive violence and gallows humor the third movie would likely show.
The introductory track “5000 Lightyears Away from Home” is relatively brief but combines keyboard textures and heavy guitars in a way that effectively sets the tone. “Cosmic Outlaw,” “Queen of Space,” “Moon Base Massacre,” “Galactic Showdown,” and “Machete Lives” pay tribute to this in much the same way bands paid tribute to movies about zombies, cannibals, and demented killers in a time when working under the radar meant no limits to how much blood could be revealed on screen.
What I appreciated about “Legend” is how each track shifts dynamically to reflect its theme and where the antihero is in each part of the narrative. The moments when the band blend thrash, mid-tempo death metal, drums likened to German thrash and heavy breakdowns work effectively when they aim to be more straightforward. Their crafting of black metal riffs introduces atmosphere and nuance without lingering longer than necessary.
The lead solos provide fleeting bursts of color that hint at Viking metal and occult black metal. The ambient track “Just Erase This Man,” along with occasional sections reminiscent of the textures Voivod incorporated into their music in the late 80s, rounds out an album with enough unpredictability to keep you engaged and attentive to where they’re guiding it. You might also want to watch the “Machete” films to see how they inspired Cruenta Venganza from album to album –Dave Wolff
Lineup:
Cráneo Escisionista: Lead vocals, guitars
Quebrantahuesos: Bass, backing vocals
Track list:
1. 5000 Lightyears Away from Home
2. Cosmic Outlaw
3. Vengeance in the Stars
4. Queen of Space
5. Moon Base Massacre
6. Space Killer
7. Just Erase This Man
8. Galactic Showdown
9. Time Warp Escape
10. Machete Lives
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