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Rating: THE REVIEW
After the great success achieved at the 1980 Sanremo festival with Contessa and participation in all the national summer festivals, after a pharaonic and unfortunate tour, when Spaghetti Records RCA disbanded after all these events, the Decibel broke up or rather split.
The frontman Enrico Ruggeri decides that the time has come to become a solo artist and, after various vicissitudes, he records "Champagne Molotov" with a new band (splendid review here). The remaining Silvio Capeccia, Fulvio Muzio, and Mino Riboni*, orphans of the singer and lyricist, and without a serious drummer, presented themselves at Sanremo by debuting a friend who was a boxer** behind the drums, while in the studio they entrusted the rhythmic part to Walter Calloni, a respected session man who, around that time, was replacing Franz Di Cioccio in PFM when Franz focused on singing.
They decide to nevertheless carry on with the ambitious project they were working on.
The idea of a concept album dedicated to the ending century might have been too ambitious, but the lyrics certainly feature a lot of youth unrest (Calde sere di Milano) and social commentary (Tutti contro tutti) along with a bit of healthy rhetoric (Valzer bianco radioattivo). Indeed, in this work, it is the lyrics that leave one quite surprised—the taste for mockery evident in their previous "Vivo Da Re" is missing here (You can find it here).
An electronic album just enough with light touches of rock and new wave to keep up with the times. There are various points of reference from which our three, supported by Ellade Bandini on drums, draw: the Stranglers, David Sylvian’s Japan, the Police, Robert Fripp's King Crimson, John Fox's Ultravox, even covered in Stregoneria.
Ultimately, an honest work that perhaps withstood the test of time much better than Ruggeri's "Champagne Molotov". Now Muzio and Capeccia devote themselves to soundtracks and music therapy, whereas Mino Riboni...
*Mino Riboni: bassist from "Vortice", Fulvio Muzio's youth band, was the Decibel's bassist from 1979 to 1985. He participated in the Sanremo festival and all the discographic and promotional activities of those years. His later life is shrouded in mystery.
** Sergio Nicosia: mascot, boxer, and friend of the Decibel, celebrated by being immortalized on the stage of Sanremo 1980 in the role of drummer
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Summary by Bot
Decibel's Novecento emerged after the band's split, as remaining members pursued an ambitious concept album about the end of the century. The album blends electronic, rock, and new wave influences while focusing on lyrics rich in youth unrest and social commentary. Compared to Enrico Ruggeri's solo work, Novecento has aged better. Though ambitious, it's an honest and compelling record reflecting its turbulent era.
Decibel
Decibel are an Italian punk/new wave group fronted by Enrico Ruggeri. They broke through at Sanremo 1980 with Contessa, released albums including Punk, Vivo da re and Novecento, and reunited for Noblesse Oblige in 2017.06 Reviews
