Litfiba
Insidia

I already know that with this review I am exposing myself to the inevitable ridicule of the entire De-Community, but if I manage to get at least one skeptic to listen to this post-Pelù Litfiba album, then my review will not have been in vain.

Instead of talking about the band's glorious and important past, I'll speak about the current situation: the band has completely disappeared, no official news has been available for a long time, and the few pieces of information (Cabo and Giamma's "mutiny," Giamma's subsequent return, Aiazzi's departure, Terzani's arrival) have come through private emails from the various parties involved. Looking with a certain detachment, the period with Cabo, in my opinion, was an almost total failure (and this is coming from someone who was a member of the Fans Club for 2 years): few sales, low notoriety, concerts in increasingly remote places during local festivals... Even musically, there is almost nothing to be proud of: of the 3 albums published, one is terrible ("Essere o Sembrare"), one is decent ("Elettromacumba"), the other is precisely "Insidia."

Released in 2001, a little over a year after "Elettromacumba," this album is not only the best of Litfiba with Cabo but the best since "Terremoto," to which it partly reconnects: a hard and edgy album as hasn't been heard in years, with an added touch of esotericism and mystery: on the cover, behind the painting "Verrino" (painted by Andrea Marescalchi, the same who painted the cover of the very first EP "Guerra"), we find a magic square, on the back the Square of Sator, a kind of magic square that forms a palindrome. New nuances to the typical Litfiba sound are provided by the use of a constant but never invasive electronic element, introduced by bassist Gianluca Venier.

A dark bass line and keyboards (played by session musician Mauro Sabbione), followed by guitar, introduce "Mr. Hyde," a powerful track with a great atmosphere, Cabo's vocal performance is excellent ("And the unknown remains, the equation that doesn't add up, labyrinths of questions, surrounded by silence"), as is Ghigo's dissonant solo midway through the song. The title track is a slightly understated piece, which could have been developed much better. "La Stanza dell'Oro" was the promotional single of the album and enjoyed quite a bit of success: an excellent blend of melody, energetic rock, and mysticism, excellently recreated by the keyboards and lyrics ("On the edge, on the limits, hypnotic spirals, one more step, fate, I will not be saved..."). Another great track is "Nell'Attimo," a beautiful ballad, as hadn't been heard for a long time, with calm and oppressive verses that provide a great backdrop for lyrics about a castaway under the scorching sun, opening into a powerful and energetic chorus. Four excellent rock tracks follow, with different shades: while "Invisibile" is unsettled and tense (opening with a haunting music box and ending with just voice and piano), "Il Branco" is pure energy, barely controlled, seemingly musically imitating the fury of an uncontrolled crowd ("We are the pack, a wall that moves, solid and lethal, like lead in the heart"). "Ruggine" (a nod to Neil Young "Rust Never Sleeps") and "Senza Rete," with an unusual (for Litfiba's style) sax solo, are 2 less powerful and more melodic tracks, which wouldn't have been out of place on "Elettromacumba."

If you fear a decline, the last 2 tracks will surprise you: "Luce che Trema" is 100% pure rock, concentrated in 2 minutes and 52 seconds of adrenalized aggression, a "Dimmi il Nome" to the nth degree, with lyrics focusing on the atrocity of the death penalty. After all that fury, "Oceano" comes to soothe our tormented auditory systems: a sweet and sad ballad, a bit like "Planet Caravan," with lyrics that manage to be effective in their simplicity ("And in you I feel the ocean, mysterious and deep, you always change your shape, swimming I will lose myself"), and with a final mini-coda where all the instruments gradually leave, leaving the drums to close the work. After a minute of silence, "Ruggine Remix" presents itself as an instrumental electronic track, an interesting experiment, but nothing more.

Ok, I tried... now feel free to lynch me!

RATING = 7.5