While the Italians have labelled themselves as a thrash band, the first thought that came to my mind upon seeing the Ed Repka cover was Death, and by the time Loris Castiglia was halfway through singing “Cadaver Decomposition Island”, I must admit that I could hear plenty of Schuldiner in there and a little of DiGiorgio in Andrea Lorenti’s clipped bass popping while Andrea Vacchiotti’s lead guitar is a manic flurry over Loris’s guitar and Francesco “Frullo” La Rosa’s rapid drum beats, before the tempo changes and the lead becomes far more flowing with some added piano and acoustic guitar.
Having started their third album in a manner they plan to continue, “Welcome To The Freakshow” has fast drums, but the vocals follow the slightly slower rhythm of the guitars making them a bit more melodic than they would be at breakneck speed.
The very thrashy “My Fragmented Self” is a nice mid-tempoed affair where the vocals go from melodic to aggressive with schizophrenic speed.
I really enjoy the 80’s feel of “The Acrobat”, especially the back and forth between the lead and backing vocals before the excellent bass solo.
And taking us back very quickly to the second decade of the 21st century is “Nomophobia” which all about FOMO.
Within a couple seconds of “Money For Nothing” playing you know it’s going to be much faster and heavier than the original and to be honest it’s not a bad rendition at all, but it is lacking a little Sting.
The rather operatic feeling “The Stain On My Soul Remains” introduces “Shining Perpetuity” which grandiose piano and choral vocals before it becomes squealing guitars over mercilessly beaten drums, but it’s the brief verse spoken in Italian before the guitar lead that captures the essence of the song in a way the angrier vocals just fall short of.
The following 2 tracks are listed as being recorded Live At Domination Studio in San Marino, where the album was recorded, and I guess the raw energy of “Burning Through The Scars” and “Spell Of The Moon” is very well captured by producer Simone Mularoni, while the rest of the album he recorded, mixed and mastered is a far more polished affair.
I’d definitely suggest watching the video of the opening track, as it’s easily the best on the album and a good video to boot.
(8/10 Marco Gaminara)
Leave a Reply