Review TOUNDRA ‘Hex’

‘Hex’, this is the title of the new album of Spain’s post-rockers Toundra. If the first albums were easy to remember in terms of title, they were numbered consecutively, the 2018 work ‘Vortex’ was a first break. Last year, with ‘Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari’, an album with a German title saw the light of day, so it is ‘Hex’ that opens a new chapter for Toundra.

Musically, not much changes and the quartet remains true to its style. Instrumental post-rock is what the four Madrileneans stand for, and they make a good use of it on ‘Hex’. In total, the album includes seven songs, whereby the trilogy ‘El Odio’, Spanish for ‘hatred’, can definitely be understood as one piece.

With 22 minutes, the three chapters of ‘El Odio’ fill the entire A-side of the album. Since the tracks are instrumentals, it’s hard to tell a story. Without words, only notes and sounds remain to generate a feeling. However, Toundra manages to do this with ease. ‘El Odio’ is about anger, a feeling that always came to the top for Esteban Girón. Anger at the world had an impact on the guitarist’s development before the realization dawned that anger can also quickly turn into darkness. Life is too short to be constantly angry and ultimately it is love that means progress and development.

‘Hex’ also reflects this in a metaphorical sense. It is not anger that makes ‘Hex’ a superior album. Rather, it is the love and dedication for what the heart of the four musicians is burning for, which makes ‘Hex’ an atmospheric, emotional and well elaborated longplayer in which you can dive in and let your thoughts run free.