mementomori

not easy to listen to, especially due to Rice's recitation which, as evocative as it is, can be a bit tiring in the end. However, once absorbed, it reveals itself in all its nuances and in small doses is truly enjoyable, with its sometimes dark, sometimes ominous, sometimes heart-wrenching atmospheres (atmospheres that correspond to the description Rice gives of himself, that is, a cross between Hitler and Walt Disney!). A successful album and definitely heartfelt (it doesn't seem like a joke to me...sure, from time to time you come across truly unspeakable things, like "Mussolini we miss you, please come back," but overall it doesn't seem like a mindless right-wing provocation, pompous and self-celebratory). Without a doubt the best thing about Rice, and then there's half of the English neo-folk/industrial scene. And you can hear it...

great concert, I was at the Florence date, on December 8th... what can I say, bows to Mark Lanegan, who is truly something terrifying, I've never heard a voice like that live... a statue, but when he opens his mouth, it brings tears, the tears... 2 brief interludes that really left their mark, he literally changed the concert and pulverized everything around him... even Dulli held his own, it just took him a bit to warm up... anyway, a nice grin split by alcohol and a splendid voice rightly broken by the cigarettes... a true gentleman...

I understand your point of view, but it seems to me that conceiving voting this way presupposes a universal objectivity, where there are genres of A, B, C, and so on... I don’t want to sound like a populist, nor a champion of indeterminism; it just seems right to judge a work based on a context and reference standards. It's pointless (and impossible) to place a piece of work on this hypothetical scale, which is then tremendously subjective and varies widely depending on musical culture. So why would we bring up, I don’t know, Frank Zappa or Robert Fripp to review Napalm Death? We're talking about different planets and different sensibilities (you can't give less than five stars to albums like Transilvanian Hunger or In the Nightside Eclipse just because there's also Lark's Tongue in Aspic). Therefore, there are the masterpieces of rock as a whole (which is more of a historical classification made retrospectively by critics, not by fans) and the masterpieces of individual genres. And in my opinion, it's more practical, more useful, more honest, and less risky to take the latter as points of reference. An album can be disappointing for many reasons, but it cannot be criticized by undermining its foundations. Just like the endless forums on how beautiful or ugly the latest Maiden album is: let those directly interested handle it; what sense does it make to annoy them by saying there’s better stuff out there?

Oops...typo: MARMELLATINE di capriolo, and not martellatine. Tepes' clarification is spot on: it's difficult, in fact, to extend these reflections to the entire scene, where most bands perform their tasks with skill but not with as much originality, creativity, and inspiration (I would still save Today is the Day, even if they have drifted a bit from the genre). In any case, it was interesting to ponder the potential of the genre, although in reality these are often not fully explored. Finally, the rating was given (as I always tend to do) taking into account the musical context and the genre, and therefore, since I believe it represents one of the highest points of grind, I felt it was only right to give it the maximum score. Naturally, the rating is something that makes little sense, especially because if one were to judge works like "Rock Bottom" by Wyatt or "Hosianna Mantra" by Popol Vuh, how many stars should be given to them, five hundred thousand?

In fact, a step below the immense predecessor, more due to the absence of the Magister (a bit more guitar and vocals wouldn’t have hurt, but still excellent as a composer!), because of the ecological themes that take away some of the poetry from it all, and for a few little flaws here and there. However, Praesentia Domini is one of the compositional peaks of Bartoccetti and co. What to say, out of time, out of this world, a unique artist, to be supported always and anyway. Well done, Lord, you convey the idea with that touch of irony that never hurts!

no no, I have the original, I've been bugging the Black Widow people since July, and in the end, I sent some of my contacts in Genoa to buy it directly from the BW store. The thing is, the female voice on the title track seemed to me too, how can I put it, youthful for Tasnad, who I don't think is a singer (her witch vox parts, in fact, are eerie vocalizations and not real vocal performances). Anyway, I could be wrong, I don't know, it's just a supposition. Ultimately, I don't think it's either Tasnad or Norton, but a sampled voice from some anonymous donor and processed in the studio... that said, it doesn't seem like a doubt worth losing sleep over. As for the drums, I misspoke, I just wanted to say that the rhythmic element, whether programmed by Rexanthony or contributed by drummer Florian Gorman, seems a bit run-of-the-mill to me. But that's just my personal evaluation. Joking aside, the album is an absolute masterpiece, one that truly can grow over time, and regardless of whether you like the review or not, I highly recommend considering it, along with the previous albums.

Chill out guys, it's just to talk, to spend a few more words on groups that nobody cares about. I write for passion, I’m not getting paid, so I feel free to do it (I also write in a fanzine where I'm forced to stick to a certain number of lines, and it's a pain in the ass, even though it ends up being more digestible and concise). So let me vent... and no one is forced to read it... after all, out of 1000 people who couldn't care less about Antonius Rex, there will be one who actually wants to know everything and more about this band that never gets talked about. So, it's better to do a lot for a few than a little for many, right?

Great review... I've never heard the album in question, but "Ultimo Mondo Cannibale" isn't so bad; actually, I play it from time to time and even have a couple of laughs with it (better them than others, at least they don't take themselves too seriously). I'll go further: in my opinion, UMC should be part of the collection of every respectable grinder (especially if you don't shy away from punk influences - it's good to remember that Impetigo started as a hardcore band)... I completely agree regarding the harmful influence on the entire scene.

You're right, Fidia. I actually come across as someone who shows off, but in reality, I really appreciate positive feedback and take criticism into account. Not only that, I greatly value the other reviews on the site, which enlighten me on certain purchases to make... The fact is, I'm not a big internet person, and between work and various nonsense (like seeing Tool tonight with Mastodon... I can't wait!), I don't have much time to connect... Even now, for example, I'm using my lunch break... Anyway, I will try to be more present in the future... See you next time!

Don't make me think about it, Tepes, when they came in 2004 to Fano or Ancona, I can't remember well, I acted all high and mighty because the location was too far away... I imagined that Balance would crash the next year... even today it pisses me off that I didn't go...