Fragore
Armored

Sometimes time is truly capricious. Had these Fragore emerged in the 80s, they would have been global stars, catapulted into the upper echelons of heavy music.

In 2012, however, we are dealing with a band that, over the years, has struggled greatly to make a mark, and it becomes even more apparent today with this “Armored.” What is it all about? It is a mini that serves as an appetizer while awaiting the new album slated for 2013, a sort of introduction to what will be... And what will become of these Fragore?! Good question, as the musicians have seen fit to cram as many elements as possible into their sound, almost managing to bewilder the listener. Thrash metal, heavy, growl, melody, electronics… A bit of everything. The opening is entrusted to “White Dust,” a track that lets electronics and a chorus repeated ad nauseam handle the task of intriguing the listener, followed by a “Burn” that at first is reminiscent of 90s nu-metal style Mudvayne (and up to this point it might even be enticing) but then once again loses itself in a chorus that to call repetitive is an understatement, with a finale that builds with tight rhythms and cavernous growl in the background. Continuing, we are taken aback with “Sad People,” the most varied and interesting track of this EP where Fragore reveals an unexpected rock soul mixed with a typically thrash metal finish. The closing is entrusted to “Earth” where the electronics unleash all their power and the melodic voice proves to be decisively more in shape than the growl.

Four tracks that honestly fail to provide definite inputs to the listener, despite some things being quite clear: for the actual album, a lot of hard work is needed especially on electronics and alternative rock partitions, less give space to growl and finally avoid infinitely repeated choruses, terrible in the 80s and even worse today. So what else is there to say…

Let’s wait and see what these Fragore come up with!