It’s easy today to hear bands trying to research on the organic sonorities of the past, bringing back some features of those days instead of using modern technologies to improve things. It’s not wrong or right, nor good or bad, it’s just a choice. But as every choice, things have consequences and many bands in the search of the Holy Grail that links the past and the present commit mistakes, turning things fuzzy or ‘smoky’. But the Canadian trio LA CHINGA seems to be in the right way of their search on “Primal Forces”. In their own words, the trio defines itself as a Hard Rock band with psychedelic powers that drinks the mother’s milk given by LED ZEPPELIN, BLACK SABBATH, MC5 and others. And it’s really a form of 70s Hard Rock filled with an organic feeling and a thunderous musical work that can shake the ground.

It’s based on strong melodies, hooking choruses, very good work on the vocals and on the instrumental takes, and from their songs flow a thunderous and amazing energy that binds the hearers easily. But pay attention: even with such load of influences, their music isn’t trying to live off what others done, or even trying to be a 70s’ band. It’s alive, it’s save, it’s melodic, so it is LA CHINGA! “Primal Forces” was written and recorded during the lockdowns of Covid-19’s pandemic. But besides such fact, the sonority is really organic (as they entered the studio, set their gears and played on), evading the use of technologies to improve things. It’s good as it is, because the band didn’t allow the final product to sound ‘smoky’ or ‘fuzzy’, but’s understandable in a very good way.

The album is done under excellent melodies and hooks, so there’s no real need to point to one or other song as the best ones. But to make the right introductions to “Primal Forces”, one can start with “Light It Up” (a live hit full of energy and melodies, with excellent vocals and backing vocals), “Ride the Dragon” (where the weight prevails and the speed decreases a bit, allowing some very good arrangements on bass guitar and drums to be heard), “Bolt of Lightning” (some ‘zeppelinian’ elements can be heard on the melodic lines of this one), “Backs to the Wall” (elements of Hard Rock and pre-Punk Rock entangles on this one, and such fact enables some hooks to be heard, especially on the guitars), “The Call” (it’s a heavy and bitter song with some slower parts with bitter riffs), “Electric Eliminator” (a thunderous roar of nasty energy with tons of weight, with good vocals laid on the instrumental parts), and “Motor Boogie” will do.

The Canadian scene was amazing in the past (especially between late 70s and the middle of the 80s), but it seems that LA CHINGA comes to put things again in their due places, so enjoy “Primal Forces” as much as you want. You’ll not regret the experience.