{"id":5999,"date":"2021-01-31T22:46:21","date_gmt":"2021-01-31T22:46:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/heavensmetalmagazine.com\/?p=5999"},"modified":"2021-01-31T22:49:37","modified_gmt":"2021-01-31T22:49:37","slug":"mike-botello-indigenous","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heavensmetalmagazine.com\/index.php\/2021\/01\/31\/mike-botello-indigenous\/","title":{"rendered":"MIKE BOTELLO: Indigenous"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although you might not be familiar with the name, Mike Botello is no stranger to the music scene. Not only did he start playing drums at a very early age, but he was also active in the late \u201880\u2019s\/early 90\u2019s club scene in Austin, TX with his bands Assalant and Awake, including as an opening act for the likes of Holy Soldier and Vengeance Rising as part of the powerful movement in Christian hard rock and metal which erupted during that time period. In addition to his musician roles (drums\/bass\/vocals) he later moved on to Nashville to work as a producer and subsequently developed his own record label (Mijaces Records), on which he has recently (January 19th<\/sup>) released his 5th<\/sup> studio album Indigenous<\/em>. [For those interested in a more in-depth synopsis of Mike\u2019s career, visit botellomusic.com<\/a>.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Time<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At just over 60 minutes in duration, Indigenous <\/em>is a comprehensive musical and spiritual journey \u2013 one which requires many listens to fully grasp and appreciate. Not only is Botello\u2019s music complex and thought-provoking, but it is quite diverse as well \u2013 spanning many decades of influences in the hard rock\/metal and progressive genres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike contributes vocals, drums, percussion, bass and keyboards\/programming, and so this is a solo project in the sense that you have a talented multi-instrumentalist\/songwriter\/producer laying it all out in a very professional manner. And while he does employ the help of Tony Smith and Jason Barrett on guitars, this \u201csolo\u201d approach is both daunting and risky because it renders the artist quite vulnerable to scrutiny. Ultimately, the music speaks for itself \u2013 Indigenous <\/em>is both an enjoyable, creative musical ride and a provocative, inspiring spiritual experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We are Indigenous\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The journey begins with \u201cChasing the Dragon”<\/strong> where an ethereal narration expounding upon the reality of \u201clife\u201d is followed by a percussive tom interplay which heralds something grand and rhythmic to follow. This opening track is a mixture of Botello\u2019s vocal exhortations, heavy guitar riffs and explosive drumming, the song setting the tone for the album both lyrically and musically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m Down\u201d<\/strong> is the first of two songs here which feature Mike Soliz (Assalant, Militia) on vocals. This slow-paced, bass guitar driven groove rocker serves as a nice single and has a more accessible melody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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