Baratro
The Sweet Smell of Unrest

Truly an amazing album, this "The Sweet Smell Of Unrest" by Baratro. Here we find Dave Curran of the indispensable Unsane on bass and vocals, which only raises the bar of expectations to remarkable levels.

Here we naturally talk about Noise Rock, which smashes mountains with Curran's hyper-distorted bass and the guitars ravaged by Federico Bonuccelli of Council Of Rats, behind the drums is Marnero's drummer Luca Antonozzi. This Italo/American project, Baratro, started in 2018 but due to the lockdown, the project got somewhat stuck with itself until the album's release in 2024.

But how is this "The Sweet Smell Of Unrest"? It is a harsh and very dark album, with high doses of kilowatts and layers upon layers of white noise intersecting with Curran's screams, perfectly at ease here with the vocals in one of the best tracks of the lot, "The Bad, The Bad and The Ugly," where the Noise riffs and the caveman-like bass hits literally crash the listener, leaving them stunned by such a din put on tape.

In "Adherence," the feedback created by the guitar bursts into a catastrophic riff, along with Curran's wild shouts, the track isn't particularly fast but has incredible momentum. You are overwhelmed by the continuous layering of white noise created by the instruments ("It's All Your Fault, Timmy"). The similarity to Unsane is present but the lethal injections of white noise do not make you miss them; rather, I think this is one of those albums that will frequently play within your player.

An eleven-piece work for 39 minutes of music that is not prone to give-aways, such is the enthusiasm with which bass, guitar, drums, and vocals are put into play. Eleven cannon shots that will cause your eardrums to lose their hearing, this is a guarantee of success for Noise Rock albums of this caliber.

The award for the most violent and acid track goes to track number eight "Nervous Wreck," a sonic cataclysm that will strike like a sharp blade above your head.

For those who follow Unsane-inspired Noise Rock and the hard and pure style of the nineties, a real breath of fresh air.

I therefore recommend this "The Sweet Smell Of Unrest" as a highly recommended listen and one that goes among the best examples of the year 2024.