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Rating: "Suddenly It's Night": right from the initial chords, the ensemble takes us into a dark, intense, tragic atmosphere. Magnelli's keyboards emphasize with their incessant throbbing the stern voice of Ferretti.
It's war, it's history, the culture burning in high pyres, in "Cupe Vampe". In the final crescendo, a distorted violin masterfully accompanies Giovanni, who proclaims the traumatic decline of our civilization.
The second track, "Sogni e Sintomi", begins, and here the bass throbs like a heart during sleep, while the lyrics evoke dreamlike visions. Ferretti, in the unheard-of role of a psychologist, offers his personal interpretation of dreams. The music is minimalist, bass and little else. Only in the finale do the guitars come in, and the voice rises in pitch.
Then comes "E ti vengo a cercare", the first ray of light after two rather dark tracks. Ginevra's vocalizations add further color to this moving performance of a beautiful piece by Battiato.
Next is "Esco": harsh, rough, acidic guitars. The measured voice intones a few words, a sort of hymn to memory.
After "Blu", marked by a well-chosen guitar riff, the title/track brings us to one of the group's dearest themes: resistance.
"Millenni" is the toughest track on the album, with almost heavy sounds, and exposes Ferretti's theological vision.
The following "L'ora delle tentazioni" is instead a very sweet piece, played on the piano and Ginevra's unparalleled vocalizations.
After "Io e Tancredi", perhaps the least significant episode of the record, it all closes with the splendid "Irata", which ends with a Pasolini verse repeated several times (perhaps too many).
"Linea gotica" is a difficult, intense, painful record, but also radiant and fascinating. An album to strongly discourage anyone who considers music a mere diversion, a harmless pastime.
It is certainly the least accessible album of the group. But also, in my view, the most beautiful.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
04 Esco (07:05)
memoria parla consolante
succedono le età
succedono le età meravigliose
che non c'è età assoluta
altro vi fu e sarà e quanto
e in quale forma
succedono le età
succedono le età meravigliose
che non c'è età assoluta
altro vi fu e sarà e quanto
e in quale forma
qui la luce si ritrae e l'aria è satura dall'eco di lamenti
scorteccio le parole
aride schegge secche adatte al fuoco
è l'instabilità che ci fa saldi ormai
negli sradicamenti quotidiani
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Other reviews
By ayeye
From the very first listen, I was stunned: musically, they are brilliant and this album fully proves it.
A special mention goes to Lindo Ferretti's voice, which is wonderful and always manages to stir emotions.
By marco83p
Freedom is a form of discipline / never like now…
It is instability that makes us steady in the daily uprootings...
By David Bowie
Few Italian albums are so genuine and intense as 'Linea Gotica.'
Ferretti’s bitter lyrics and Massimo Zamboni’s vitriolic solo seem to simulate the burning of the library of Sarajevo, millennia in paper lost forever.
By magico vento
"Maintain a proper distance from this album if you are looking for easy refrains or swirling guitar riffs, but anyone in need of emotions can immerse themselves in the listening of this CD."
"It’s an album made of words, words, words... to live!!!"
By STIPE
Any sentence, any word, would diminish this album, its beauty cannot be described.
Linea Gotica is an album of electrified guitars. Ultimately this is the sound of our time, as detestable as this time and sound may be.
