Dark Quarterer
Violence

Lovers of Italian metal, and metal lovers in general, make this record yours, no matter how, but make it yours; the work I am talking about is the latest, in chronological order, from our Dark Quarterer, a combo formed in Piombino, province of Livorno, back in 1974, dedicated to an extremely epic and dark progressive metal in which doom elements coexist with more classical parts, inspired by bands like Iron Maiden & Co.

"Violence," this is the name of the platter under examination, marks the band's return to the scene, after a silence that lasted a full eight years from the previous "War Tears" (an album in which the group's epic vein came out like never before), and it immediately proves to be decidedly more direct and less elaborate on a musical level compared to the records of the past, while maintaining those typical coordinates of the D.Q. sound, which make "Violence" recognizable from the first listen, even to ears that know our music only in a cursory way.

Despite the work in the composition phase being simplified, the group seems highly inspired and manages to pull out of the hat six tracks of great charm in which all their charisma comes out; throughout the full length, Sabbath-like melodies such as in the opener "Black Hole" will follow one another, in which you can even hear echoes of the latest Bathory, especially in the choirs that seem directly taken from the last two "Nordland," all naturally set in a more heavy and less viking perspective.

The subsequent "Deep Wake," while proving to be an extremely compact and solid song, shows us the more melodic side, being equipped with definitely more prog-oriented bass and guitar riffs, and with really foreground drum work; then we take a leap into the past with the third "Last Breath," opened by a classical guitar arpeggio that acts as an accompaniment to the flute, which takes us back in the minds to the '70s when progressive held the music scene (the reminiscences of Jethro Tull become heavy and will reappear in "Last Song"), only to return to tread almost doom territories, marked even more by the interpretation of a Gianni Nepi, on vocals, truly superb. The fourth track, "Calls," is presented completely acoustic, with a guitar in the background supporting the voice, this time more theatrical in the interpretation, of the singer who proves comfortable both in the lower parts and in the vocal peaks where the notes rise. A good prelude to the subsequent "Rape," a technical thrash piece, which alternates drawn-out moments (which could remind an ideal meeting point between early Megadeth and Watchtower, with a touch of epicness to make everything more dramatic) with more reflective ones where the rhythmic times stretch and where the voice becomes more heartfelt, all supported by a first-rate melodic base, with pyrotechnic guitar solos, which, although rich in distortions and fast passages, never prove excessive or self-serving.

Sweet notes of flute with a background of wind instead open the last "Last Song," an episode of great emotional impact, in which extremely musically suffered moments coexist, alternating guitar arpeggios that make the atmosphere even darker, with others closer to a certain dream-theaterian-derived progressive metal, but reworked in an extremely personal manner and stripped of all those excesses so dear to the American band.

Concluding the review without making a heartfelt thanks to Dark Quarterer would not be correct, as once again they have managed to give us a product of great class in which melody, emotions, and technical performances coexist in perfect balance; the record is also supported by a recording that, for the first time, achieves at least decent results unlike what happened in the past of this all-Italian glory.

Don't miss this platter and indeed since it is Christmas time, it could be a good gift for you and the metal-loving friend on duty.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS.