Despite being titled ‘Metal Caido del Cielo’, Luzbel’s debut EP showed a band that wasn’t sure yet whether they were a hard rock or a heavy metal band. Their first full-length – though being just barely half an hour long – ‘Pasaporte al Infierno’ is unequivocally an early heavy metal album. One strongly inspired by the NWOBHM, influences of which guitarist Raúl Greñas undoubtedly picked up during his time in England, but also one with clear early speed metal elements. ‘Pasaporte al Infierno’ is an album that contains everything one could like about early eighties heavy metal and would prove to be highly influential for the developing Mexican heavy metal scene.

One thing that stands out about ‘Pasaporte al Infierno’ is how good the production sounds for this type of material. Many metal bands who were among the first in their regions at the time had productions that were acceptable at best on their first few albums, but ‘Pasaporte al Infierno’ sounds more or less exactly like it should sound. Greñas’ rhythm guitar has just the right amount of distortion – still owing quite a bit to the heavier side of seventies hard rock both sonically and stylisically – and the fact that Antonio Morante’s lively, melodically strong bass work is actually audible really enhances the listening experience.

All of this would have been meaningless if the song material was not up to snuff. Fortunately, ‘Pasaporte al Infierno’ contains some of the best examples of early Latin American heavy metal available anywhere. Starting with its incredible title track, which is borderline thrash metal in its speed and aggression, but kept firmly within the traditional heavy metal realm my Arturo Huizar’s dramatic vocal delivery. The album contains some of Huizar’s best work to date anyway, significantly adding to the constantly shifting dynamics of the riffs and rhythms in the likes of ‘Kirieleison’ and ‘Hijos del Metal’.

Most early heavy metal bands were too busy creating a bunch of good songs to be concerned about what subgenre they fit best. And so, ‘Pasaporte al Infierno’ skillfully moves back and forth between the uptempo aggression of its title track or ‘Atrapado en el Metal’, the epic majesty of ‘Advertencia’ or ‘Por Piedad’ and even a ballad in the shape of ‘Déjate Ser’. On the latter, Huizar adapts a vocal approach strongly reminiscent of something Klaus Meine would do an a Scorpions ballad, only notably less nasal. ‘Guerrero Verde’ is an excellent midtempo stomper that appears to be made for the live environment.

Though Luzbel would follow ‘Pasaporte al Infierno’ up with a fine self-titled album, they would quickly descend into a long identity crisis like so many bands from their era. Fortunately, their first full album is one of the best heavy metal debuts from the eighties and well worth your time if you are into NWOBHM-tinged metal. What is all the more impressive is that Luzbel manages to take their core sound into different directions without losing their identity in the process. All of the riffs carry’s Greñas’ signature and seal of quality, while Huizar delivers the performance of a lifetime.

Recommended tracks: ‘Pasaporte al Infierno’, ‘Advertencia’, ‘Kirieleison’, ‘Por Piedad’