Exilia
Unleashed

THE REVIEW

"Exilia".

This is the name of a folder I found one evening some time ago, rummaging through the recesses of my computer. Who knows, maybe the fruit of some file exchange. Inside, a single song: "Stop Playing God". I don't remember it, have I ever listened to it?

But it's nice, I like it. But from which album does it come? And who are these Exilia?

I start my research, unexpectedly discovering that they are Italian, but almost completely ignored in their home country: to get noticed, they had to emigrate abroad. Fully adopted by Germany, they debuted in 2000 with the album "Rightside Up" and, in 2004, were chosen as official supporters in the European tour of Rammstein. In the same year, thanks to the German Gun Supersonic Records, they released their second of the four currently active albums, "Unleashed", almost unknown in Italy, but a real "must" in the Teutonic land.

Becoming more and more curious, I decide to get hold of some of their works and, not without difficulty (I live in Verbania, here getting original material about little-known bands is a real hassle, even for "Sandinista!" by the Clash I had to go through an ordeal...), I manage to find "Unleashed".

And it turns out to be a nice surprise.

An explosive mix of aggressive, dynamic, and cheeky sounds, crowned by the raspy and powerful voice of the tireless frontwoman of the group, Masha (a blonde with dreadlocks and the air of knowing her stuff): this is "Unleashed", an album to be listened to in one go, where the tension never drops.

The first part of the album is especially beautiful, decisive, direct, and effective: the opener "Coincidence", immediately followed by "Stop Playing God" and "Day In Hell", but also the intense "Underdog", the more subdued "Mr. Man", and the intriguing "Starseed", all songs characterized by incisive guitar riffs, catchy choruses, and not averse to a touch of "gothic".

Moreover, there are more tranquil and moderated moments, like in "Without You" and the aforementioned "Mr. Man", but among the "slow" ones, "I Guess You Know" stands out, where Exilia make use of the vocal collaboration of Micha, leader of another German band, In Extremo.

In short, "Unleashed" is a fully packed, catchy, and engaging piece of work, the second creation of a band with huge potential, absolutely one to watch out for.

An electric shock that lasts 49 minutes. To listen to.

[Shout louder when I shout Run faster when I run Let me live out every day like it was the last one - Shout Louder -]