mementomori

finally listened to, but not yet digested. for now I like it, even though there are some empty passages (like the first track, which makes milk come to your knees after just one minute, and it’s not a nice way to start the album) and unfortunately many of the flaws of the last albums are inherited (with one aggravating factor: the impression that our musicians are improvising without thinking too much about it, resulting in several tracks sounding lengthy, repetitive, and lacking focus). in terms of substance and richness of content and guests, I would associate it more with black ships ate the sky, which I still prefer. the fact remains that after 4/5 listens I still can’t embrace it in its complexity and intrinsic irrationality. for sure there are some standout moments, especially with the dromedars (that one yes, worthy of soft black stars), the piece sung by antony, perhaps the best of the lot (unlike the one sung by nick cave, which I found a bit weak) and spring sand dreamt larks (pure madness). as for a potential live performance, the absence of zorn will be a concern.... in any case: great tibet once again....

Damn... when is it coming out? I’ll drop everything and go buy it immediately!!!!... beautiful review (rating 5), finally a detailed, long, and intriguing review of the current album; I haven't heard the record yet, but I’m already glad that Tibet took 2/3 years to recharge, for him that’s an eternity and I hope this break has done him good... the premises and the ingredients are more than excellent, I just hope the feeling of déjà vu isn’t too overwhelming (and with so many guests, there’s a risk of mannerism, with Tibet in the middle doing more or less the same things as always...). But what am I talking about: even though I haven’t heard a single note, I already know it will make me cry with joy. I’ll come back to rate the album once I’ve listened to it...

how wonderful a review of current 93 on casapagina...send more!!!

desperate appeal to the editors: hey guys, you’re amazing, you’ve been supporting me for years and putting up with my logorrhea, I just wanted to say that I’m trying to get out of it, I know I have a problem and I’d like to solve it, I’m busting my ass trying to be more concise, to write shorter, less wordy reviews... but then if they’re edited without spaces, they still look like bricks. all my efforts feel in vain, I feel wrong and fall back into logorrhea. am I doing something wrong when I send them to you? (humbly asking), could you please break up the paragraphs here and there with spaces? (humbly asking again) just to streamline them, to make them look more smart, fast, pretty, actual... is it possible? in this case, THANX!!!

Hi, just a tiny correction: where I mention the invocation I actually meant to write incantation, but I had suffocation in mind...sorry...

Strange though, all these "lukewarm" comments... I was looking forward to this review (excellent!) and I think the album is a top ten of 2013. First: I Massimo Volume know how to play, and it’s known that the purely musical aspect often takes a back seat when talking about a band that sings in Italian. Second: Clementi is the greatest poet of Italian alternative rock. Third: it's hard for a historic band to convince while carrying such an illustrious past, but "Aspettando i barbari" not only does not disappoint, not only does it not pale in comparison to the past (the title track might just become my absolute favorite song by MV), but it stands out as one of the best things recently birthed from the Italian scene (I was also listening to the latest from Santo Niente these days, another pillar of the old school, but there's no comparison!). Do MV act all high and mighty? They’re right to do so, because no one plays like them, and I genuinely feel for the various Godano, Agnelli, and their singing companions (in Italian)...

Psycho, probably my review had created high expectations for you, while for me, who wasn't expecting much, the surprise effect played a big role... in any case, the product is really valid and grows with each listen...

jdv666, look, I had the same objection while writing; in fact, what I'm describing isn't just a metal issue, and I don't find many innovators even outside of metal. But then I got caught up in the writing and continued down that path... Overcome by guilt for my lack of objectivity, I later raised the score to 5, when it could have easily been 4. In hindsight, I can say that perhaps my point today relates to the lack of "talents" who can forge a personal style. For example, you could recognize a Schuldiner riff from a thousand miles away; I don't find Staps's guitar playing very personal, and it ends up sounding anonymous, however beautiful it may be. So what do we expect? Heart and personality would be enough for me...

Personally, I prefer the third one, a rumour of angels, but I don't think it can be found individually, since it collects EPs, remixes, and unreleased tracks in a single support, and I believe it was only published as a complement to the discography in the box set... therefore, I continue to recommend the whole box, which all in all isn't that expensive (I paid 43 euros for it, but perhaps it can be found for less)...

Hello everyone. Gigi: I don't know Qntal, but I'll look into it; thanks for the unplanned recommendation. I loved Ataraxia a lot in the past, and I followed them closely until several years ago, even seeing them live on a couple of occasions... the thing is that reviewing them today would bore me to death; the reviews would come out cold and without feeling because I'm no longer into them, and it wouldn't be fair to such a phenomenal band... but maybe if the right moment comes along, I might give it a try, though I’m waiting for inspiration. As for so-called "ethereal," I've never been a die-hard fan: maybe these bands have monstrous singers and beautiful melodies to offer, but I've never been able to accept the use of synthetic instruments in that kind of context (I could never get past the Bontempi keyboard orchestra, even if it was set up by the masters Dead Can Dance). If these Qntal play with real instruments, great; otherwise, I'm afraid I won't like them. Nakki: in my black metal phase, I also had some Summoning stuff: they are a truly original band, but I've never fully digested the fantasy themes. So I listened to them enough without ever getting overly excited, and today I feel too old to reevaluate them. Thanks again for the positive comments. Bye-bye.