Dark Quarterer
War Tears

In 1995, Dark Quarterer released this new album, considered by themselves as a transitional record.

Even at first listen, there is a fundamental musical difference compared to the previous two albums: the epicness and darkness that filled “Dark Quarterer” and “The Etruscan Prophecy” are here accompanied by new, decidedly more 70s Hard Rock openings, undoubtedly due to the inclusion of guitarist Sandro Tersetti, with a Blackmore-inspired style, in the trio.

On one hand, these contaminations would give the group a fundamental push to renew their genre (something that would be fully realized in subsequent records), but on the other, they cause a momentary loss of homogeneity in the artistic inspiration of the trio.

However, in general, the album, despite partial disharmony, is very pleasant to listen to, tackles important themes, and contains some splendid tracks.  

It starts with the intro “In The Beginning”, where an incredibly epic melody accompanies Nepi's voice, who talks about the violence inherent in human nature (a theme better addressed in the subsequent “Violence”). The narration, battle noises, and epic sounds couldn't help but remind me of some moments from the early Manowar albums (for instance, Orson Welles's narration in Dark Avenger), although I personally consider the latter inferior to Dark Quarterer both musically and in terms of inspiration.

The intro connects directly with the title track, which explodes with a powerful guitar in the foreground, accompanied by epic choirs. A brief drum solo leads us to the main riff. In this beautiful track, Tersetti's Hard Rock guitar touches intertwine perfectly with the more "metal" soul of the song, making this piece one of the best on the album.

Then it moves to the dark “Nightmare,” which takes us to decidedly darker territories, with an alternation of fast and frenetic rhythms and slow, very Sabbath-like verses. A noteworthy (and extremely fast!) guitar solo should be mentioned.

“Out Of Line” is introduced by a formidable drum solo by Paolo "Nipa" Ninci on which guitars and vocals join in, creating a track of evident Zeppelin inspiration which I personally consider the album's low point, not because it’s of poor quality (indeed, some parts are quite compelling), but because it’s quite distant from the gloomy atmosphere the album managed to create and, in general, distant from Dark Quarterer’s style.

Fortunately, the next track brings the listener back to those dark and melancholic atmospheres that the album intends to suggest: “Lady Scolopendra” is undoubtedly the masterpiece of the album, and one of the most beautiful tracks ever composed by the Tuscan group. It opens with a delicate bass arpeggio, then dives into a powerful yet simultaneously moving melody, with a highly inspired Nepi delivering his best performance vocally. But the best moment is undoubtedly the wonderful acoustic guitar arpeggio about halfway through the track, which resolves into a goosebump-inducing guitar solo. Here, too, the Hard Rock influences are present but are intertwined with the melody so well as to create perfect homogeneity.

“Darkness” is another highlight of the record: its slow and extended tempos contribute to creating a heavy yet melodic atmosphere. I believe it is, along with the previous one, the song that best anticipates the stylistic turn our musicians will undertake in subsequent albums. Noteworthy is Nepi's phenomenal performance that perfectly interprets a troubled and distressing track like this one.  

“Last Paradise” opens with an excellent intertwining of electric and acoustic guitar. However, the track turns out to be rather anonymous, except for a good acceleration in the second half.

The album concludes with the hypnotic and sweet melody of “A Prayer For Mother Teresa Of Calcutta,” another gem of the album, which represents the ideal conclusion.  

“War Tears” is an album that I would not recommend to someone approaching the Tuscan band for the first time (to them I recommend starting with the first and elusive “Dark Quarterer"), but it certainly deserves a listen and will surely give any lover of good music genuine emotions.