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It has been over a year since Ankla exploded onto the music scene with its explosive Latin metal sound. They made their big return in front of a filling Roxy crowd and gave them a taste of the new and improved version.

The band introduced new frontman Eddie Macias, who came out strong and immediately connected with the crowd. Due to sound troubles, his vocals were often hard to hear, but he still managed to work through those issues. His vocal style is similiar to former frontman Ikaro Stafford's, but without the raw vocals that existed more in the older material.

Their setlist consisted mainly of material from their Steep Trails CD. Percussion plays a hug part in their sound, as drummer Pepe Clark and percussionist Oscar Santiago work well together keeping the rhythmic jam sessions sound so smooth. Bassist Tony Castaneda compliments the percussion players by holding down the low end and making it sound good.

Guitarist Ramon Ortiz provides the heavy end of Ankla's sound, by wailing away on the guitar with his heavy riff playing and throwing down the metallic edge that is evident in their sound. The members of Ankla provide both aspects well, and meld both sides into one heavy sound that is both rhytjmic yet brutal.

Tonight's set gave the crowd a taste of what may be to come from Ankla's forthcoming record. With the new lineup in place, fans got to witness what could be something that metal fans could look forward to later on in the year.