Hocico – Unseen Horror Scenes (Digital/CD/Vinyl/Cassette – Out Of Line)
Hocico needs no introduction to any fan of Dark-Electro. The Mexican duo has been active continuously since 1993, delivering countless hits and brilliant albums. This new album took a little longer to arrive—around four years—and is available with an extra disc and/or vinyl featuring six additional tracks, including three remixes, one of them by Funker Vogt.
With “Unseen Horror Scenes”, Hocico takes aim at various aspects of our contemporary world. Our environment has been in decline for some time, providing a potent source of inspiration for the duo. Musically, the album contains classic, instantly recognizable Hocico tracks infused with a heavy dose of power and aggression. They remain relentless in this regard, yet highly effective in their compositions and rage-filled vocals. However, the album also seeks to introduce some innovation. We encounter various experiments, ranging from pure Electro-Punk and a breakbeat-driven track to Cinematic instrumentals and even a song featuring a touch of Rap. Notably, the main album contains only one Spanish-language track, which is a departure from their usual approach. Hocico has been trying to introduce some evolution into their work over the years, an effort I certainly applaud. Unfortunately, they do not quite succeed on this record. Despite a few strong tracks, I am left feeling somewhat unsatisfied.
“Unseen Horror Scenes” has merit on many levels, but it is certainly not the album I would choose to introduce Hocico to someone who has just discovered the Dark-Electro scene. Not every album can be the best. (Rating:7).
Listen to “The Screen”:
About Hocico
Hocico is the Mexican electro-industrial duo of cousins Erik Garcia (Erk Aicrag, vocals and lyrics) and Oscar Mayorga (Racso Agroyam, synthesizers and programming). The pair formed the project in Mexico City in 1993, taking their stage names as reversals of their given names, and played their first concert on 18 February 1994.
Early cassette releases such as “Autoagresión Persistente” and “Misuse, Abuse And Accident” in 1994 and “Triste Desprecio” in 1996 were self-released. The studio albums that followed include “Odio Bajo El Alma” in 1997, “El Día De La Ira” in 1998, “Sangre Hirviente” in 1999, “Signos De Aberracion” in 2002, “Wrack And Ruin” in 2004, “Memorias Atrás” in 2008, “Tiempos De Furia” in 2010, “El Último Minuto (Antes De Que Tu Mundo Caiga)” in 2012, “Ofensor” in 2015, “The Spell Of The Spider” in 2017, “Artificial Extinction” in 2019 and “HyperViolent” in 2022.
The duo records for Out Of Line. Recent releases on the label include the four-track “The Screen” EP in March 2025 and the collaboration with Prayers on “Hey Tú” in November 2025, expanded into a four-track EP in December 2025.
“Unseen Horror Scenes” arrives four years after “HyperViolent” and was announced by Side-Line in May 2026.
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
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