[engl] Debut 12" from this San Francisco punk band that first caught my ear on their split 7" with Mexico's Los Monjo. Like Los Monjo (and like singer Jose's old band, Peligro Social), Ruleta Rusa take the big, anthemic riffs of old Spanish punk like Eskorbuto and inject them with the wild energy of 80s US hardcore, sealing the deal with a sprinkling of infectious, rocked-out lead guitar. Whether they're bashing out an upbeat singalong like "La Ley" or a darker, more downbeat song like the title track, Ruleta Rusa fill every moment with maximum power and energy. Recommended for punks who like punk.

[engl] It's been nearly five years since Ruleta Rusa released Aqui No Es, their debut LP for Sorry State, but if you think they've slowed, mellowed, or otherwise slipped off their game you are sorely mistaken. If anything, they're harder, faster, and punker on Viviendo Una Maldicion than they were on Aqui No Es, as perfectly exhibited on Viviendo's furious opening track, "No Hay Paz." Elsewhere on the album you get a similar mixture of classic Spanish punk, US hardcore, and second-wave UK punk that you heard on the band's previous releases, but everything feels a little more direct and a little rougher around the edges. Oh, and dig the show-stopping pair of Paralisis Permanente covers that close the album! In a word, Ruleta Rusa have gotten better... the tougher parts are tougher, the catchy parts are catchier, and they've delivered what is (to date, at least) the crowning achievement of their discography.