Artist: Eskorbuto Album: Los demenciales chicos acelerados

Year: 1987
Duration: 0:0-1

A Critical Review of the Album: Los Demenciales Chicos Acelerados of the Music Artist: Eskorbuto

Do you remember the golden age of punk music in the 1980s? When too many people believed in the movement as a promise of rebellion against the establishment, commercial pop, and rock? Nowadays, finding such a powerful sound that can awaken those purposes is not easy. However, in the northern Spanish city of Santurce (Basque Country), there was a band that achieved it: Eskorbuto. Their third studio album, Los Demenciales Chicos Acelerados (1987), exemplifies the essence of punk music: its rage, commitment, and energy. In this blog post, I'll review the album, introduce the band, and analyze the most important elements of its music.

Eskorbuto started to play punk music in the early 1980s, in a context of social and political tension, due to the separatist Basque movement and the repression of the Spanish government. In that atmosphere, their lyrics, written in Spanish and Basque, expressed a nihilistic view of society, with a strong influence of early punk bands like The Ramones and The Sex Pistols. Their first two albums, Eskizofrenia (1984) and Mucha Policia, Poca Divercion (1985), produced by punk veteran Paco Trinidad, were already critical and rebellious but showed a lack of production and arrangements. However, Los Demenciales Chicos Acelerados improved their musical quality, without losing their irreverent spirit. Produced by the engineer Carlos Martinez, who worked with influential bands like Los Nikis and Siniestro Total, the album added new sounds, like synthesizers and saxophones, to give more variety to the songs.

One of the most brilliant aspects of the album is its opening track, Cualquier Lugar, a fast-paced song with a catchy chorus, that talks about the frustration of the youth in the Basque Country, with lines like en cualquier lugar, tendréis que aguantar/ la mierda de la sociedad. Another outstanding song is Historia Triste, a slow tempo ballad, that reflects the emotional depth of the band, with lyrics that confront the idea that punk lyrics should be always angry and provocative, y quizás la mía/ tambien sea una historia triste. The album includes other songs that address social problems like poverty, drug addiction, and racism, such as Anti-Todo, Ratas Rabiosas, or Eskizofrenia.

The production of the album allows the band to experiment with new sounds, like the synthesizer riffs in Cerebros Destruidos or the saxophone solo in Mucha Policía, Poca Diversión, which adds a ska-ish flavor to the song. However, some critics argue that the sound of the album is too polished for a punk band, losing some of its rawness and authenticity. Moreover, some of the lyrics are not as well-written as others, and the lack of melody in some parts makes them difficult to sing along or remember.

In conclusion, Los Demenciales Chicos Acelerados is a significant punk album that reflects the social and cultural context of its time and the creative evolution of a band that started with a limited punk perspective and evolved into a more musically diverse approach. The influence of Eskorbuto can be seen in other Spanish bands like La Polla Records or S.A., and some Latin American punk bands, like Fun People. Even if it's not the most refined album of its genre or time, it deserves recognition for its bold and raw message and its contributions to the Spanish punk scene. So, if you want to listen to an authentic punk sound that can make you think about the problems of the world, Eskorbuto's Los Demenciales Chicos Acelerados is a must-have.