A Last Failure
Promo 2006

There it is, I see it. A little house on a night beach, guys dancing and getting drunk, loves that either happen or fall apart, the mad rush of youth towards the world, something to make them feel more grown-up. And yet another failure (or, if you prefer, "A last failure"). It seems like I see kids on skateboards in the sunny streets of a city, palm trees everywhere, kids meeting in college, youthful sweat and blood, all absolutely, extremely American.

Everything about A Last Failure oozes American blood. The guitar riffs, the voice, the melodies, the way they use the palm-mute, everything, even the drum beats. They resemble Funeral For A Friend at times, with those melodies now slick, now melancholic, that grip your throat, often leaving you petrified. No, stop, hold on. There's a tiny, insignificant detail that sets them apart: A Last Failure are ITALIAN. But not even from a city where the scene is saturated, like Rome or Milan, no no. We're talking about Palermo, Sicily, Southern Italy. We're talking about 4 guys who, had they had the luck to be born in Florida, Massachusetts, Boston or even in the most unlucky and hidden American city, would probably now have a luxurious contract and thousands of kids going crazy under the stage for them, instead of busting their butts every day and not even earning a penny to decently print a demo. I just hope they never go down the path of forced commercialization...

Because their passion seeps through every note. They've learned well the lesson of Taking Back Sunday: everything here is top-notch emocore. Sometimes veiled with hardcore and the screaming vocals of bassist Drew, following in the footsteps of From Autumn To Ashes et similia. Not to mention the lyrics, often based on the idea that failure produces in our life, especially in love (a classic emo theme) but not only. They often reminded me of My Chemical Romance and their distinctly romantic attitude, like in "I Can't Sleep Tonight", a song with an absolutely overwhelming emotional impact, however derivative and soaked in youthful sweat. Of course, if some detractor wanted to criticize the band, it would be precisely this: derivative. You can tell they grew up on a diet of bread and emocore, there's no denying it, you see it in everything, even in the same attitude that makes them so "American." Yet we're talking about an Italian band, a band that reflects the reality of OUR kids, of us young twenty-somethings who speak the language of the beautiful country and who could, in a few years, rival the sacred monsters of the genre.

A reality in which the kids from our country can see themselves, with the difficulties, the contrasts, and the contradictions of their age and their world. If what matters is the feeling, there is plenty here: a song like "Last Note I Write With Blood" may be as derivative as you like, but try telling me it's not effective... Impossible. Pietro's slightly off-key voice ends up adding even more youthful charm to the songs, and the riffs, while alternating between anger and sweetness, pour out melody as if it were raining, managing to hit the heart without asking for permission. Those who love emocore won't struggle to appreciate this band, if you know how to trust them (the full-length album is hopefully coming in March)...