El León is a gritty, muscular, acid-soaked blues-rocker from the edge of the world.
Manal was among the first wave of heavy rock bands from South America, alongside
Almendra,
Pappo's Blues, and
los Gatos. The original power trio from Argentina has been credited with bringing the
blues and the Spanish language together for the first time. The energy on El León, their second album, from 1971, is immense with drummer/vocalist
Javier Martinez growling his way through the lyrics, even on mid-tempo numbers like "Paula (Quiero Ver Dónde Estás)," a song with the same loping menace as
the Troggs' "I Want You" or even
Led Zeppelin's "Dazed and Confused." The record begins with the speed-driven "No Hay Tiempo de Más," and though the tempos may change from song to song, the playing by
Martinez, bassist/vocalist
Alejandro Medina, and guitarist
Claudio Gabis is uniformly hard. It isn't without subtly, though, as the acoustic guitar- and hand drum-driven "Soy del Sol" proves, but even here the energy is high as the band clatters away behind
Martinez's warble.
Manal approach some
Cream territory on the title track and also of note is the proto-glam of "Hoy Todo Anda Bien." It's less refined than their self-titled debut from 1970, but fans of hard, heavy gonzo rock should definitely check out El León. [The 2004 BMG Argentina reissue adds four bonus tracks.] ~ Wade Kergan, All Music Guide
