For those who may have ventured upstairs inside Bonds Rock Bar a couple of Sundays ago unfamiliar with the headlining band on stage, the first question likely to come to mind might have been: Who are those masked men?
And there may have been a decent chance that any stragglers on this night would have been familiar with at least two-thirds of Spanish-singing Asesino via their unmasked, more well-known, bands. But in truth, the dedicated crowd of roughly 75 moshers and onlookers at the veteran downtown establishment knew who they came to see June 26.
Fronted by Tony Campos — bassist of Static-X, Ministry, Prong and Fear Factory among others — and led on guitar by Fear Factory co-founder Dino Cazares, Asesino blitzed through 20 songs en Espanol after locals Flesh Hoarder, Semper Acerbus and Outlook Grim warmed things up with a mostly metalcore style of heavy metal.
Cazares is known as Asesino’s namesake, which translates as “murderer.” Campos, who goes by Maldito X, gets to flaunt his sense of humor as frontman and take part in a band where he not only provides all vocals but does so in his native language. The trio is rounded out by drummer Emilio Marquez, who goes by Sadistico.
Although their masks made them look more like bank robbers than intimidating killers (maybe that’s a good thing given the state of the world today), Asesino brought the heaviness on several offerings including “Cyko Maton” and “La Ejecucion.”
Shortly after ripping through “Padre Pedofilio” (Pedophile Father), “Puta Con Pito” (various translations involving a whore are possible) and “Y Tu Mama Tambien” (And Your Mother As Well) — each of which can be viewed via ATM footage below — the trio went from would-be bank thieves to autograph signers and photograph subjects with their fans (see 37-photo slideshow including setlist below).
The trifecta of San Antonio artists setting the stage for Asesino brought it as well.
Flesh Hoarder features Flying-V lead guitarist Mike DeLeon, who provided the Pantera leads last Nov. 12 at Vibes Event Center as Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals performed “A Vulgar Night of Pantera.” Watch them in action on this night via ATM’s Facebook Live footage of “Tortured Beyond the Grave” and “Necrotic Slut Chunks.”
Semper Acerbus can be viewed in similar fashion on “Daymare.” Ditto for openers Outlook Grim on “Power.”
The identities of the masked marauders with loaded musical pedigrees may not have been as mysterious, after all, as the identity of Cazares’ new vocalist in Fear Factory, which he has still not revealed following the late 2020 departure of his long-time friend Burton C. Bell. But as Asesino continued to parade through Texas and Mexico on this rarest of live occasions for the band, those on hand could appreciate the presence of established national musicians making themselves at home in the cozy downtown San Antonio rock bar owned by the Eguia family.
Score one for the underground scene — y tu mama tambien.
