Mala Suerte - Non Serviam
Building on a foundation of Sabbath-inspired, doom-infected riffery, and
infusing ample portions of old-school crusty thrashcore and elements of
70s-era psychedelia and experimentation, Mala Suerte has set out to create
their own brand of sonic dread and dysphoria. Rising from the ashes of
experimental hardcore band, Tertium Quids, in early 1999 the first incarnation of the band was born. At this point, the band still featured the same TQ line-up of guitarist David Guerrero, vocalist Gary Rosas, bassist Bobby Garza, and drummer Richard Woolsey, but was writing some slower and heavier material in addition to the chaotic speedcore and noisy psychedelia that they were previously known for. Feeling a name change was in order to reflect their decidedly heavier and more somber direction in songwriting, and due in no small part to their collectively pessimistic nature, the band decided to change their name to Mala Suerte, which in Spanish means bad luck. This would incidentally turn out to be somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy, as soon after, Woolsey decided to leave the band, due to his increasing distaste for the bands slower and more doom metal influenced sound.
The band spent the rest of 99 and much of 2000 gigging in and around Texas with their good friend, John Petri, filling in at the drummer position. Later Woolsey would rejoin the band in order to rehearse and write songs for their debut full length CD, Tales of Modern Alienation. Still unhappy with the bands current musical direction, Woolsey left the band yet again in the midst of recording sessions for the full length, despite having recorded the drum tracks for all but one of the songs. Once again, the band called upon the services of John Petri to record the drum tracks for the one unfinished song, Confusions Maw. The remainder of the sessions for Tales were plagued by numerous technical and logistical problems which resulted in over a year of overall recording a mixing time. During this time the Mala Suerte line-up saw the addition of Grant Renken on drums just in time for an opening gig with Anal Cunt and an invitation to perform at the 3rd Stoner Hands of Doom Festival. The band also released its first four song demo, Confusions Maw, which featured the title track as well as a cover of D.R.I.s Commuter Man that would later be included on the official D.R.I. Tribute CD.
Once again the band was forced to endure the departure of yet another drummer and the arrival of new blood with the addition of George Lewis. The band quickly got to work to write and start gigging once again. Yet, after a brief tour in late 2002, original bassist and co-founding member, Bobby Garza, left the fold.
Refusing to be set back, the band recruited long-time friend and ex-Caustic Death bassist, Mike Reed, and in June of 2003 entered Austins Republic Studios to record the songs which would end up being the seven song Non Serviam demo. Not long after the recording of the demo, the Mala Suerte line-up would undergo another shift with the exit of George Lewis and the return of John Petri at the drummer position. The band once again got to work to write new material and started playing out again in and around Texas with the new line-up. Soon after, in 2004, the band would return to Republic Studios to record the doom/sludge epic, Self-Deprecation and Loathing, with plans to release it as a split release with Japanese doom/death band, Coffins.
Early 2005 appears to be a more productive year for the band as they continue to write new material for the follow up to Non Serviam. More gigs are also in the works, with an eye towards more extended touring in the near future.
Purchase Mala Suerte's "The Shadow Tradition" from any one of these fine merchants:
