To say Brujeria is loud, abrasive, and unapologetic is a severe understatement. In the intimate auditorium of Reggies Rock Club in Chicago on November 25, 2023, the infamous Mexican grindcore band from Los Angeles decimated the house. Demonstrating their full power through their chugging riffs, inhuman blast beats, and unmerciful lyrics about immigration, feminism, Satanism, and politics. If Brujeria’s extreme wall of sound didn’t make the audience feel something, the crowd killers in the pit certainly did. Accompanied by a stacked lineup of punk and metal outfits, Reggies bore witness to a Latino festivity unlike any other.
Brujeria brought an evening of intense political statements, headbanging, dancing, and above all, heavy fucking metal.
Brujeria truly has no remorse. Their songs are littered with harsh political statements, along with witchcraft imagery. So it is no surprise the rest of the lineup had something to say. From Racetraitor’s solidarity with Palestinian freedom to No/Más’ “Fuck the Police” rhetoric, there was no way the show wasn’t going to be politically charged. The anger and rage behind these sentiments fueled both bands with ferocious performances. Racetraitor started the show with a set so heavy it could almost tear a hole in the universe. Later, No/Más brought the heaviness to even deeper levels, with frantic blast beats and intense vocals akin to a cyclone.
Needless to say, each act succumbed to the “Otra! Otra!” [“Another! Another!”] chants, common at Mexican concerts and parties.
Piñata Protest was the last of the openers, and while the rest of the lineup was heavier grindcore, the San Antonio “Tex-Mex punk” band offered celebratory chaotic vibes. A true fiesta! Their accordion-wielding frontman made the group super unique, allowing them to infuse Mexican music into punk in a creative way. The pit hosted a crowd of killers and dancers, trying to move along to the punk-style cumbias or huapangos. Piñata Protest even did a punk rendition of “La Chona,” a famous pop cumbia song by Los Tucanes de Tijuana. I never thought I’d ever see something like that in my life. It was a thrilling experience and a welcome change of pace. However, the crowd had no idea the doom that awaited them…
A flagpole donning Mexico’s flag was set on stage, only with one extra touch: a decapitated head sitting atop the pole. The head has become known as Coco Loco, an image used on their debut album Matando Güeros and subsequent releases like their latest album Esto Es Brujeria. Quite the grotesque political statement for quite the grotesque band. Brujeria took their show to the extreme. Almost every member on stage wore bandanas over their mouths to conceal their identities. Juan Brujo, one of the four vocalists for Brujeria, wore a Mexican flag bandana over his face. Brujeria performed with intense pride. Whether they sang songs about former governor Pete Wilson and his horrible Prop 187, or anthems about smoking weed, the audience was engaged and moshing like crazy.
Even after 30 years, Brujeria is still out there performing with such an annihilating, brutal force.
One of the show’s highlights was La Encabronada coming out to sing “Bruja Encabronada,” a powerful song denouncing machismo and speaking up against femicide. The four singers (Fantasma wore a bandana while Pinche Peach was the only member of the group without one) all had a unique presence about them. Still, La Encabronada stood out with her freakishly impressive screams and unmatched energy. Near the end of the show, the band closed with their most famous track “Matando Güeros.” The perfect song to encapsulate just what Brujeria is all about. In a violent call to kill güeros, along with embracing Satanic forces, Brujeria uses this violent sentiment as a prideful call. It was certainly being sung as such by everyone in the venue. “Matando güeros!” was yelled at the top of everyone’s lungs at the end of the show.
Without question, Brujeria is fierce and destructive. They’re uncompromising on who they are and what they believe. And it was clear, that the fans in attendance loved every second of it. Even as Pinche Peach held the decapitated head out to the cheering crowd as Fantasma and Juan Brujo waved their machetes in the air. To end the night, the band did a karaoke version of “Marijuana,” their hilarious rendition of the famous pop song “Macarena.” After the murder music and barbarity, spirits were high. Shocking as Brujeria can be, their existence in the metal scene will always be impactful. It’s incredibly refreshing to see a band like Brujeria be uncompromising in their Mexican pride. They have a passionate and somewhat cruel way of demonstrating that pride, but it is a lot better than sitting in the shadows.
Brujeria will always be infamous, but it’s that infamy that keeps their career alive after thirty years.
All photos by Oscar De Leon.