Customer Reviews

Artilleria Pesada: Presenta

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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I never thought my favorite rap group would be from Mexico, but along came Control Machete. I loved Mucho Barato, but after listening to Artilleria Pesada, Presente several times, I was convinced it was an even better album. The production has gotten away from that strictly Cypress Hill type style (but still retains enough for those who like it), and really encompasses a wider sound, from the hard hitting beats and rhymes of "Pesada" and "Unisono" to songs that aptly incorporate traditional Latin sounds with rap like "Ileso" and "Danzon". Fermin is a great vocalist, with his hard-hitting, gravelly voice and well-written lyrics. It's really cool being a non-native Spanish-speaker and figuring out what they say; it really adds to the experience.

By the way, all these sites and even CDDB are off on the track listings. They are fine until track 6, which is a filler track, followed by (7) Ileso, (8) Desde La Tierra, (9) Esperanza, (10) Danzon, (11) Grita, (12) La Artillera, and (13) short untitled track. If you listen to the songs and their themes, this makes more sense

"No se fracasa si existe un comienzo"

I was worried when i purchased this album, that because i barely understand any Spanish, that i would not be able to get into it. I was wrong. The production on this album is extremely inspired and every song sounds different and interesting. The music is hip-hop, but retains the Mexican flavor that makes this group so intriguing. Case in point, they rap over Latin Jazz on "Danzon" which comes off really well. Rap in Spanish also sounds really cool! And the real test is that this album sounds awesome both on my boombox and over the car stereo. This album rules from the beginning to the end, meaning that "Si, Senor" is not the only good song on the album.

Bueno, para mi fue el mejor albun que compre en el an~o 2000.
Realmente, un disco que me facino' no solamente por su musica, sino tambien por la originalidad y profundidad de sus letras.
Para mi este es un disco motivacional, con un mensaje positivo y que adema's responde perfectamente a la idosincracia del mexicano. Frases como:
"No se fracasa si existe un comienzo", o "Espera, avanza, esperanza", y "soy transparente y me transporto ileso".
Ademas de ser bastante alentadoras resultan bastante poeticas.
Un disco que vale la pena tener, pero no para todo mundo, solo para la generaciones jovenes. O los viejos que todavia creemos que hay inovacion en este mundo!

Like most of mainstream America, I was first exposed unknowingly to Control Machete through Spike Jonze's amazingly cool "Crazy Legs" Levi's commercial. Normally I go for music like "A Tribe Called Quest", "Public Enemy", and "Roots" (aside from "Roots", modern day hip-hop and rap is well below early 90's standards). Control Machete holds the record for most times I've listened to a new CD on the first day. "Mexican rap" is an exotic genre in Ohio, but this isn't just a novelty disc. Control Machete seems to really have fun doing what they do, even if middle-class white boy over here can't understand the flowing Spanish lyrics.

"Pesada" starts the album with a frantic energy that permeates the rest of the 58 minute hip-grooving masterpiece. "Si Senor", while flashing images of denim in your head, will have even the most jaded elderly gentleman tapping a foot. "Presente" takes the beat down a notch for breathing room, giving you a chance to hold the one you love close to you as you prepare to be beaten over the head with the sharp lyrical stylings of "Unisono" (which I believe has the single best repeated verse in the history of song, which doesn't actually start until a minute forty in). "Instancias" would be the main song in the Control Machete led version of West Side Story (that's a good thing). A :37 second long sound sorbet cleanses the palette before "Ileso", with a sweet Mexican beat leading a very catchy song. I'm sure if I knew Spanish I'd be writing about how the word structure and rhyme scheme of "Desde la Tierra" makes Elton John look foolish, but this song just rocks. "Esperanza" is the inspired ballad of the disc, featuring the Control Machete take on longing of a beautiful woman (to my uni-lingual ear that is, I could be wrong). In a bar, drunk, with a bunch of friends: this is the shining glory that is "Danzon". "Grita" really drives home the point that this is a talented group, sounding at the same time original, yet firmly entrenched in the Control of the Machete. The almost-title track "La Artillera" disgraces American rap like Mike Tyson to his "woman friends"; P-Diddy wishes he could do something this original. In fact the whole disc, group and style should be closely examined by anyone attempting to do hip-hop or rap. Control Machete's "Artillera Pesada, Presenta..." has the originality and style needed to make the executives at Billboard wet their pants in shame.

I had the CD stashed away in my drawer for a couple of weeks before I listened to it. When they were coming to town on the Watcha '99 tour I decided to brush up on the album. I just didn't think that they could surpass the "Mucho Barato" album. I've been really impressed by debut albums before, only to be disappointed by the Sophomore effort. Boy was wrong. It is very good. Music-wise, it is smooth. The kind of album that is dense with talent in both music and lyrics. If you speak Spanish, the album makes you think about all of the things happening in our dear Mexico and it fuses feelings of disgust, fury, and triumph. I am so grateful to have been exposed to this album, and to this movement going on in Mexican music. Not just Thalia anymore!

This is the album where it all comes together well. I bougth this album based on the strenght of one song, Si Senor. Which I heard from the levis commercial. when I saw that commerical I thought it was a wicked song. And I searched for who the band was, then got the album. Now I listen to it all the time. There are other great songs on this album as well.

Compré este disco por Danzón, un tema único y maravilloso -- producto de una colaboración entre Ctrl-M, varios integrantes del Buena Vista Social Club (!) y el cantante principal de Café Tacuba. Pero este disco no contiene ni un tema que no valga la pena. Se lo recomiendo a todo aficionado de la música en español.

este ha sido el mejor cd de musica rap que trae musica del mero monterrey, y tambien incluye relatos e historias de la ciudad de monterrey, que pueden ser vistos en una computadora. este cd es de lo mejor.

Ummmmmm.....where should i start???? im from mexico,and i've been following control machete since "Mucho barato" was released,and even though american bands rule,i think control machete and molotov give hip-hop/hardcore bands a run 4 their money,such as KoRn,limp bizkit,kid rock,etc..... And.....well,this is my FAVORITE ALBUM OF ALL TIME,yep,even better than the astonishing original KoRn album named....well, KoRn. Control machete sure deserves some recognition here in da states,and i can asure ya'll if they get da chance,they're gunna bring a lotta phat hype!!!! I mean with songs such as : "Si señor" or "Pesada" this album will make ya wanna go 2 mexico!!!! Oh and dont miss out "Mucho Barato" the band's debut album,which also rules!!!!!

I'm not a big fan of American rap or hip-hop. The occasional group or single catches my ear and I may listen. Like many before me, I first discovered this group through Spike Jones' commercial which features the song on this album "Si Senor." I understand very little Spanish (enough to know Control Machete is somewhat cavalier about their cursing, not very different from American groups).

What stands out to me about their CDs are the creative beats and unique voices of the singers/rappers. Unlike American artists, you can tell them all apart, and all their songs have a unique flavor. "Unisono" and "Danzon" are probably my favorites on this album. It's very refreshing to hear them incorporate melodic lines much more commonly than say in American style, but also there is more of a rock-like edge to their songs. Those two songs which are my favorites on this album both present creative beats and tunes that make you feel almost like you are in Mexico listening to real music and having a great time. If you like any of the Control Machete singles you've heard before, you'll probably like this album. It's very catchy, and you don't have to speak Spanish or be into hip-hop to realize how good this group is.