Discomostro
Oh No!

THE REVIEW

Discomostro, a name, a guarantee; after 9 years since their debut album we’ve arrived at the fourth chapter… Oh No!. The title of this album certainly isn’t a negative statement, but in a way it’s exactly what you might exclaim after 27 minutes of this record, right before you hit play again from the beginning. The band, led by the voice of Carlame (former drummer of the historic Skruigners), decided to get people moving and moshing at their gigs with a new batch of tracks released on February 14th, 2025. The album opens with “Nudo”, which, with a typically punk sound as they’ve always delivered, immediately sets things straight; “... non so cantare, ho la faccia di chi ha perso la guerra, ne ho già fatte tante sai, mentre tu ti sistemavi i capelli...”, sings the good Carlo, almost underlining in a playful way his thirty years of experience in the Italian punk/hardcore scene. One thing that immediately grabs your ear, as in most of the tracks, is the prominent bass; often paired with the other instruments, and often playing lines that drive the rhythm of the song, it’s remarkably original and pulls the listener in, especially looking towards their live shows. Among the more radio-friendly moments (if we can call them that), we find “Tuttocchei”, a track that openly criticizes contemporary society and its hypocrisy; there’s no shortage of jabs at the Italian political scene, yet they aren’t just thrown in for show. The album continues with energetic tracks like “Peperoni” and the bass-driven “Giada”, before landing in more melancholic territory with “Tornerò”, a very groovy and impactful song. Nearing its end, the record closes with “Cactus” and “Persona”; the choice in track order is absolutely spot on: “Cactus” is probably one of the hardest and tightest tracks on the album (with reminiscences of the Skruigners era), while “Persona” starts as an acoustic ballad before bursting into a heavy blast beat by Manuel on drums, leading the song into its main section. Even though it’s a completely different genre, such an ending faintly recalls the closure of Pantera’s Vulgar Display Of Power with “Hollow”. Thanks in part to the introspective meditation of the lyrics, which at times vaguely recall Battiato, “Persona” is not only one of the best tracks on the album but also one of Discomostro’s best. Overall, analyzing the work as a whole, this is a record that certainly does not overturn the path taken in their previous releases, but precisely because of this, it stands strong and confirms the band’s musical solidity. We can say that with Oh No!, the artistic legacy of the Skruigners and of historic Italian punk bands in general is absolutely honored, and by combining it with elements from the contemporary scene, it’s properly done justice. The overall less heavy sound compared to their previous album Mostropatia is without a doubt something that will irk fans of the toughest hardcore punk, but, considering the band’s musical intent, it’s definitely a smart move to avoid becoming anachronistic. Undoubtedly one of the best releases of 2025 in this genre.

Best tracks: “Nudo”, “Tuttocchei”, “Tornerò”, “Persona”.