Italian Symphonic/Gothic Metal band Rossometile may be an unfamiliar name to many (I know it was to me), but “Gehenna” is actually their seventh album in twenty years, the majority of which have been self-released. This album is the third to feature vocalist/pianist Ilaria Hela Bernardini joining founding member Rosario Runes Reina (guitars) alongside bassist Pasquale Pat Murino and original drummer Gennaro Rino Balletta. Mixing Symphonic Metal with Gothic tones, the maturity of the band’s songwriting is in no doubt right from the beginning.
Rossometile choose to sing in their native Italian, which brings an added drama and flair to their compositions, but may also be a reason that they aren’t as widely known in other countries. This lyrical choice doesn’t detract in any way from the quality of the songs, lending if anything an extra wave of confidence to the vocals, allowing Bernardini to deliver the lyrics with maximum passion and conviction rather than having to grapple with a second language. Those vocals are the main focal point to many of the songs, so the fact that they’re expertly performed is critical to the album’s accessibility.
We are lucky to have a healthy amount of quality Italian Symphonic Metal bands around at the moment, and Rossometile have the great guitar-work and intricate rhythm section to enable them to be a worthy part of that. But an additional way they have of standing out from the crowd is with their use of Gothic elements to spice things up. Melancholic piano passages are scattered throughout and well-placed hints of EBM and samples sit alongside a pounding heavy drum beat in tracks like ‘Sangue E Seduzione’ to emphasise that the band aren’t afraid to mix things up a bit, to good effect. These moments keep the arrangements interesting and less generic than some Symphonic Metal bands striving to be noticed can come across as.
There’s a progressive attitude to the album, where the songs range from 46 seconds to over ten minutes, just because that’s how the song sounds complete and there’s a noticeable freedom to Rossometile, that possibly comes from not being tied to a label. This is an engaging album that doesn’t follow the formulae of others and strikes out on its own, challenging the listener with unexpected twists as well as welcoming them with familiarity. But then, after seven albums, it starts to become clear that Rossometile know what they’re trying to achieve and are getting quite accomplished at it.
(8/10 Andy Barker)
Leave a Reply