Il Torquemada
the killer EP

THE REVIEW

Music is seeking new distribution paths, new ideas for greater exposure. The internet has become the ideal medium, to the detriment of the major labels that report negative balances every year. A multimedia "Do it yourself" that doesn't always succeed in its intent. It's commendable the choice of some bands to record their own album and then upload it on a website or on MySpace, with the choice of purchase (for fans of the old formats) or free downloading.

Obviously, the qualitative results can be inconsistent, something that doesn't happen with "The Killer EP", the new EP by Il Torquemada (yes, with the article in front). A year after the debut "Tales from the bottle", we find the trio in excellent shape.

Alfonso Surace, Luciano Finazzi, and Davide Perucchini give us a long descent into the abyss of noise, stoner, punk. And where is the way out? Simply, there isn't one. It's a whirlpool of dissonance, noise, and great ideas.

"Disaster" opens the dance: syncopated rhythm, hoarse and incisive singing, a swirling between the Jesus Lizard, the Shellac of "At action park" and the very first One Dimensional Man. "The killer" is the classic track you'd dream of hearing on some rock radio (if they still exist): shouted voice, a riff that sounds like "Let there be rock" played by Rapemen, perfectly paced rhythm section, a final chorus that tries to find its space amid the melodic-dissonant contrast.

"No!" is a haphazard, skewed, amphetamine-laced blues, supported by an audience applauding directly from the kingdom of Satan, Mississippi circle if I'm not mistaken. The central bridge seems extracted from a senile Melvins animal.

"People" and "Il Torquemada" wouldn't have looked out of place on the debut album, based on the dissonance/riff contrast so dear to the group. The first makes you shake your head like the RATM of the good old days, the second rich with those stop & go so dear to the group.

Don't be misled by the various references, their offering is truly interesting and their personal stylistic traits are highly recognizable, thus not making them fall into the Italian rhetoric of pointless copying.

A special mention goes to the production, where clarity of sounds and clear audio tend to create a wall of sound that brings me back to some auditory perceptions recreated by Favero within "Nell'impero delle tenebre".

For information about the EP: www.myspace.com/iltorquemada