Catacomb
The Return Of The Ark

Present on the market since the distant 1994 when they released the splendid "Wish I Could Dream It Again", Novembre have always been considered one of the gems of Italian metal, having distinguished themselves with a very elegant sound capable of combining gothic, doom, death, and progressive elements, giving birth to exceptional albums, some of which are considered true pillars of Italian death metal.

Yet, as some of you might know, Novembre didn't exactly come out of nowhere. Before them, the two Orlando brothers, assisted by Antonio Poletti (also with Novembre) and Riccardo (last name unknown), created a group called Catacomb in 1990. I know the name might discourage many, but don't worry, in the end, the sound is the same, maybe the moniker is darker, but the final substance remains unchanged.

After two demos that didn't gain much following, both dated 1991, the band reemerged with their latest work in 1993, namely an EP called "The Return Of The Ark", but how to describe it? In simple words, I would talk about an aggressive death metal that is at the same time extremely elegant, developed on complex rhythms, resulting rich in progressive accents, yet without being too convoluted or full of unnecessary heavy embellishments. This is how the three tracks within the EP are born, namely "A Deadening Whisper", "Tomorrow it Happened", and the concluding "In the Shade of the Cypresses"; it is immediately noticeable that, if musically there isn't much difference with Novembre, except for a greater presence of black elements, what stands apart from the band's subsequent works is certainly Carmelo's vocal setup, decidedly more guttural and desperate, and always anchored to the growl.

Of the three tracks, the last one is definitely the best, endowed with greater dynamism and more attractive solutions, such as the dissonance between the sparse and hammering guitar riffs and the rhythm section more intent on performing virtuosic evolutions of great value. Nonetheless, the other two songs are also appreciated during listening, thanks to particularly tasty melodies, even if more conventional.
While still far from the creative peaks of the band, it must be recognized that this "The Return Of The Ark" is a work that shows a band in great shape and able, despite the young average age of around 20 years (Giuseppe was just 17), to offer music that is both pleasant and artistically substantial.