A.N.O.
Le Migliori Canzoni D'Amore

"[...]The function of the anus, which goes hand in hand with that of the rectum, is to allow and regulate the important and delicate physiological act of defecation." This is how the A.N.O., one of the strangest yet most important entities on the Marche noise/math rock scene, introduce themselves. A band from Jesi led by two peculiar characters: Francesco Zedde, known as Zeddì, on "drums and bowls," and Alessandro Fiordelmondo, known as Drugo, on the "brownish guitar." An (almost) entirely instrumental album, yet despite this, it is the human element that prevails over the music. Here is their debut, Le Migliori Canzoni D'Amore, dated 2012.

The way A.N.O. makes music is dirty. It’s filthy. It’s grimy. It’s clad in a gigantic mound of manure. They don’t know how to play. The songs are awful. The cover is awful. And the album is terribly recorded. But all this is simply fantastic. If you thought you were dealing with classic 4/4 rock, you were greatly mistaken because the songs on this album are absolutely unpredictable, difficult to follow at first listen, and all mixed with delirium and rambling. Just listen to "Plants" to get an idea, with a first part dedicated to a hallucinatory text, and then exploding in the second part with a purely noise rock piece. There's no room for reason even in the subsequent "Ninja" and "Speedness," absolutely the best and craziest tracks of the entire album and the band in general, both accompanied by two music videos, two videos sufficient to book a nice warm room in an asylum. Also enjoyable is the reinterpretation of the famous Star Wars Imperial March, the main theme of the famous antagonist Darth Vader, in the track "March.o.". However, the concluding "Lullaby" is less charming, a piece over 20 minutes long, with 5 minutes dedicated to the actual song, while the rest comprises distorted verses and noises, which over 15 minutes can bore even the most hardy noise music listener.

A band and an album that are not exactly for everyone, but precisely for their absolute uniqueness, they deserve to be included in a hypothetical list of all those artists/groups to listen to at least once before you die. And also to see, since in concerts they perform almost twice as well as in the studio. Yes, it's rather strange to suggest you go see a "shitty band," but after all, even shit would have value if man were born without an ass.

RATING = 7.5/10