Buoyed by a line-up which features Ramon Ortiz of Puya fame, Ankla's rise to the spotlight has been a slow build at best, having already spent around four years toiling on the underground circuit. So with an established pedigree, a realized sound and vision plus some marketable aspects, what exactly took the band so long to land a national label deal?

Well, for starters it could be that though talented musicians, Ankla sadly don't offer much that Ill Nino, Soulfly or even Puya haven't already. A chugging Latin-centric tribal stomp complete with nu-metal/meets thrash undercurrents, much of what the band deliver sounds dated in a world where metalcore and technical metal have taken over. That said, the bands infusion of Latin instrumentation and ethnic color is both skillful and accomplished and does much to champion their cause.

It's just that when you get right down to it, it's hard make a connection with the band when their own identity can often be at question. Long-time listeners will recognize some of the groups earliest tracks brought forward here and while they don't feel out of place, they don't exactly feel as fresh as they used to either. That said, "Steep Trails" is at times a welcome excursion from the ever-so generic metalcore onslaught that continues to to advance on a daily basis. But perhaps the steepest trail of all for Ankla will be making a dent when so many of their similarly armed peers have failed.