270bis
Incantesimi D'Amore

270bis, one of the most acclaimed groups in the Italian alternative music scene. Today, their songs have become very popular among Italian right-wing circles, so much so that quite a few live bands perform songs written by Marcello De Angelis. However, there's a work that has somewhat flown under the radar and is very underrated, in my opinion, perhaps due to the few references to fascism. I'm talking about "Incantesimi d'Amore," the first proper album by 270bis, but still, considering the previous cassettes, the third. It's a strange album, varied, very inspired, indirect and with a strong artistic flair. Personally, I love listening to it in the car. The sound is dark, monolithic, with an excellent rhythmic part from the bass and percussion.

It starts with "Barricate," which already prepares us to listen to the album: you can immediately feel the monolithic sound I was talking about. At first, it seemed like a terrible idea to put such dirty and raw guitars, but then I changed my mind.

"Non Nobis Domine" is an anthem to the Templars, particularly to Jacques De Molay. It's truly a gem, especially the chorus which is very reminiscent of Franco Battiato.

"Incantesimi d'Amore," with its oriental imprint, is what I consider the masterpiece of the album, in short, the notorious song that makes the purchase worthwhile. It continues in the same vein as the previous track: slow, sweet, and doesn't feature distorted guitars; some grave piano notes cradle the listener during the chorus. Magical and evocative.

"Raccogliero dei fiori per farne una ghirlanda
e mischierò i miei semi per farne una bevanda
mi chiameranno 'Strega' e brucerò all'inferno
ma il mio spirito ora vola in questa notte d'inverno."

"Angelo Custode," on the other hand, is perhaps the weakest track on the album, maybe because I still haven't understood it. But it does contain a truly breathtaking guitar solo, which I didn't expect at all on the first listen.

Here the atmosphere becomes more violent with "The Guns of Verona Beach." The song is structured in two parts: the first is the most energetic, expressing anger, resentment, and you can sense what it's talking about:

"But if they can arrest us, they can never stop us
as long as the heart beats, my song will be heard.
For the blood, for the land, for our freedom.
For the homeland."

The second part softens, somewhat like saying that ideals remain rooted in a man for a lifetime:

"but love, but my love doesn't die as long as my heart beats in my chest"

With "Oltre il confine," the atmosphere calms down again, becoming a little country, to be honest. "Politicamente Scorretto" excites me a lot for the rhythmic part of the bass and guitar, leaning towards funky. The lyrics are fun apart from the chorus, which I don't know what it means.

"Petite Chanson," as the title suggests, is a song written in French, which I don't understand. But the music is fun, and I could make the same point as before regarding the bass and "synthesized" percussion.

The album is almost over, and we can really enjoy it with two well-made songs.
"The Storm" is a long song with a fast-paced rhythm sung in a spoken manner, what we all call "rap." I didn't want to say it, because this compared to other rap works is a real masterpiece. Really nice to sing, the chorus is sung by a girl whose voice reminds me of Elisa.

To end on a high note, let's relax, imagine a monumental Rome at sunset by closing our eyes, and let ourselves be lulled by this composition: "Roma LXXVIII E.F." Any other comment is superfluous.

Final comment? I think it's clear that I love this album, I like listening to it often. It's a difficult album to understand, probably on the first listen you'll be disappointed, but I assure you that with each listen you'll like it more and more.