Malatja
48

"...the obscene accent of our dialect and the noxious fumes of the Sarno river were more rock than Dave Navarro's lacquered nails..."

So reads the biography of Malatja, a band from Angri led by the charismatic Professor Sessa, a group that from its beginnings has always stood out with a very unique style among grunge, punk-rock, stoner and, in "48", even electro-rock-pop. Their stories are of "backstreet angels," stories inspired by the emptiness that surrounds us and the unhealthy environments of this world too often ignored.

The album features 9 new tracks, including the cover of "Vecchie, mugliere, muorte e criature,” an old piece by James Senese, plus the revival of "Munnezz'," a historic song by the band.

The opening is entrusted to "Sole 'e California," an incredibly powerful track that should be blasted at full volume to be best appreciated. Then follow the intense "'A guerr' che teng' 'ngap,” "L'anema nun perde dignità," a deadly song with incredible radio power, and "Tu che ne sai addò fa jorno," showcasing the group’s melodic verve. The album continues with songs reminiscent of the overseas scene; but this is music made in southern Italy, on the fringes of the world, as they say. "Pizza Connection" is a track with a hard and almost funky sound that explodes into a breathtaking chorus that makes you want to mosh.

The lyrics of Malatja perfectly portray the discomfort of the weaker ones in this world, "...because life is made for those who screw and don't care about others..."; they speak of the conformity present in this world and especially in the new generations that don't realize how banal it is "...a world based on image...," and they urge a mental and cultural revolution. But they also address hot and current topics like unemployment, in a cruder and more realistic manner in the cover by Senese and in a more humorous and lighter way in "Cassintegration."

This album demonstrates the great qualities of a band that over the years has played its cards very well, revealing itself as a beautiful reality of our peninsula’s music, despite being mostly ignored and mistreated by almost everyone.

The Malatja are one of those groups that if they had been born in the United States or England would have received much more attention and visibility; but this is the sad condition in which many of the brave bands of the Italian music scene find themselves, too often seen as an inferior and secondary scene compared to the international one... unfortunately.