Macbeth
Malae Artes

After two years of waiting, I finally managed to get my hands on the much-acclaimed and debated "Malae artes," the third album by the Italian band Macbeth from Milan. In the past, they have gifted us two rather successful works known as "Romantic tragedy's crescendo" (1998) and "Vanitas" (2001). I'll say this right from the start: I did not like this album at all. I can't even say that my ears let it slide by without much difficulty; on the contrary, listening to some of these tracks was such a traumatic experience that I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy... And there's only one reason for all of this: it's called Morena.

Many changes have taken place in the last few years... The only member left from the original lineup is the good Fabrizio, drummer and leader. This factor should not be overlooked because it has led to a radical genetic shift at the core of the group's style; first of all, the keyboard no longer plays the important role it once did, and this is truly a shame as this choice contributes to distancing Macbeth from that Italian gothic metal thread they themselves created with dignity. Then add to the list of novelties the almost total absence of scream vocals and the unsettling presence of blatant electronic insertions ("Nuda veritas" and "Miss murderess" seem like pseudo-gothic dancefloor tracks) and you will understand that the band has almost nothing left to do with the musical genre of the past (if we exclude the final "Dead and gone" where the classic Macbeth-style from "Vanitas" echoes). However, I don't want to claim there are commercial aspirations as many have done: the desire to remain original and stand out from the crowd is quite tangible, and this is ultimately the only factor that has allowed the album to at least achieve the rating you see above.

In any case, nowadays the sound of our band is dominated by guitars (the excellent riffs and solos of clear heavy metal origin remain their trademark); as a choice, I find it quite successful as it helps to modernize the impact and emphasize the power of individual tracks (listen to "Lifelong hope," the best piece on the platter, and unleash with the most frenetic headbanging). But the dynamism of the rhythm section has never been a problem for these musicians... And if the vocal parts had been entirely entrusted to the good Andreas, perhaps I wouldn't be here today talking about "Malae artes" in these terms. The singer has a unique and commendable style, and he is the only one who, with a microphone in hand, can give the right theatrical flair to tracks of this magnitude. It's a pity the female parts have become quite tedious in the current economy of Macbeth. I had already highlighted the significant shortcomings present in female singer Morena's vocals in my review of the previous album, and now I find myself disappointed and forced to state that the improvement hoped for her is not even remotely visible. I want to be brief and concise: while in some tracks of "Vanitas" the girl was still able to be listened to, in each of the ten songs on this album I simply couldn't stand her. I still wonder how all this could have happened; wouldn't it have been better to abandon the now overused vocal alternation and entrust the entire range of styles to the more capable vocalist?

With this Hamlet-like doubt and the regrettable memory of my ears praying never to endure such an affront again, I am inclined to say that "Malae artes" would deserve the trust of anyone (Macbeth is still a good band), were it not for its one massive flaw: having one of the worst singers in the metal scene among its creators. As far as I'm concerned, this aspect is not negligible at all; I often close my eyes and I'm certainly not the most uncompromising reviewer... But when it's too much, it's too much, there is a limit to tolerance!

At the risk of being unpopular with someone, I confess I can't wait for Morena to be replaced (but seeing her relationship with the aforementioned founding leader, I doubt that might ever happen), also because the hope of improvement has completely evaporated into the ether after listening to "Keep the secret," which could have been a beautiful ballad capable of bringing everyone together but remains a set of innocent piano notes overshadowed by vocals truly unsuited for the certain angelic tones required by the genre.