Bandita - ​Intacepta

Bandita 

​Intacepta
self-released; 2015

3.7 out of 5

By Andrew Westberry
​

Based in New York, Bandita is a recently formed hard rock band comprised of three twenty-something year olds. Taking cues from blues, metal, and funk, their first EP Intacepta is heavily driven by heavy beats, forceful vocals, and relentless guitars.

The title track starts off the release with grunge-y, dark pulsing riffs on distortion-laced electric guitars, an ominous and haunting introduction to the band and its style. Sean Hanley’s vocals soar above the rest of the subterranean soundscape and give a fullness to the mix. He effortlessly shifts between melodic singing and spoken word-esque yelling, complementing the instrumentation are analogous stylistic changes throughout the song.

The unfettered energy of the album continues in “Side To Side” as Sean invites the audience to participate in the song along with the band members. This tune is an all out head-banging rock anthem, complete with crashing cymbals, thumping bass and kick drums, and screaming guitars. A lightning-paced guitar solo brings the song to an uncontested dynamic height before falling back down to the usual steady rock beat.

“Mad Grin” is loosely based around the Joker’s face and attitude in the movie The Dark Knight. Just like the villain, this song’s lyrics are scarily honest, and they are accompanied by haunting laughs and sound bytes from the movie. Those hoping for an optimistic patch of light in Intacepta will not find it in “Mad Grin”; instead, the darkness is only intensified.

The final song, entitled “For the Moon”, brings a welcome brightness to the album. Even though much of the song revolves around minor chording, there are enough major chords in the song to suggest a hint of hope that is present in the lyrics and instrumentation alike. Vocal harmonies echo this sentiment, and the record ends on an unexpectedly brilliant note. Overall, Intacepta is a highly polished hard rock album, and its employment of conventional instrumentation exploring new innovations and both sides of the emotional spectrum make it well worth the listen.

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