Frangar
Bulloni Granate Bastoni

We last left the very Italian Frangar a few years ago with an album of combative Black Metal titled “Totalitarian War.” Since then, the domestic formation has received much acclaim from the public and, occasionally, from the industry critics. Despite never disappearing from the scene, they returned only in late 2011 with the second album “Bulloni Granate Bastoni” released by the very active Lo-Fi Creatures, which, instead of fishing from the emerging underground, brought in a group that already has a good number of listeners. This was definitely a smart move in terms of sales, though whether it was successful from a purely qualitative point of view is another matter entirely.

But who are these Frangar? For those who don’t know them, Frangar is an openly and undeniably far-right group led by an individual who, in his excessive, convinced, and exalted manner, often has something comically enigmatic about him, and goes by the mythical name “Colonnello.” I am not at all here to judge whether it is morally right to address such pronounced far-right themes on a record; there are many people who would refuse to listen to such material. Personally, these themes don’t disturb me simply because I am for absolute freedom of expression and secondly because I am writing about music, so it seems pointless to discuss the concept of right or wrong, which is purely subjective.

With this introduction, we can start talking about “Bulloni Granate Bastoni”; one thing is undeniable, Frangar have almost entirely abandoned Black Metal territories to pursue a path that can be described as a crossover between Oi! and Hardcore Punk albeit with a certain extreme music flavor. The change is undoubtedly bold, and personally, I am always in favor of stylistic changes if they are well done, but this is not the case. Let's proceed in order: the record opens quite well with “Conquistatori del Sole,” a track with a good vibe, more than a catchy riff, and a certain charm. Unfortunately, from the very next song, the first problems begin; in the next track, the sound becomes weaker, less intense, and not as violent as one might expect. The lack of punch in an album that tries in every way to vomit hate and anger on the listener is a significant shortcoming, and believe me, this album has quite a few ups and downs like this. Aside from the lack of punch, “Bulloni Granate Bastoni” presents two other fundamental flaws, both of considerable magnitude! One is the inevitable factor of anonymity; the tracks on this album tend to all sound the same, creating a vortex of monotony that comes to life about two-thirds into the listening. The other substantial defect I mentioned earlier strikes relentlessly at the lyrics. Let me explain better: from a work dealing with certain themes, one would expect committed, profound, cultured lyrics, but instead, many of them are ridiculous, if not outright laughable, and it is an unforgivable flaw in a group that heavily leans on their textual concept, even if, to be fair, it must be admitted that the Colonnello knows what he's doing behind the microphone.

However, after so many words, it's time to summarize; ultimately, Frangar has produced a certainly courageous album, but equally certainly unsuccessful. It is not entirely to be discarded, but it is far from being satisfactory. The fact that I find myself in the minority compared to part of the music critics and the fact that this album sells incredibly well in Italy simply demonstrates to me that it's more about trends than quality. I recommend this album only to those who are die-hard fans of the genre or convinced political extremists, while I suggest everyone else interested in approaching these themes in music to get something by Spite Extreme Wing, who are two notches above.