Meganoidi
And Then We Met Impero

If you associate the Meganoidi only with cheerful ska songs like "Supereroi" or "King of Ska", you wouldn’t believe your ears hearing this little masterpiece. Already their second work "Outside the Loop Stupendo Sensation" (and especially "Zeta Reticoli") had shown great maturation, but few would have expected such a clear leap in quality.

This EP, released in 2005 and completely self-produced, skillfully mixes post-rock with hints of progressive and psychedelic in a whirlwind that is both angry and melancholic at the same time, also showcasing excellent technical proficiency.

The 5 tracks that make up the EP are named after each word in the title. The instrumental "And" opens with dissonant guitar arpeggios, then great space is given to the trumpets in the embellishment phase, before Mattia Cominotto’s six-string takes the reins of the track again. The nearly 8-minute "Then" follows. The upheaval of the song form leads to the constant alternation of calm sections dominated by Riccardo Armeni's dark bass, and other schizophrenic ones with almost shouted vocals. It is immediately noticeable that the trumpets in these first tracks play a lesser role in the melodic economy because they are more there to accompany rather than impose themselves in a solo capacity. The last 2 minutes are dominated by the bass (to which the other instruments subsequently join) and the singer Davide di Muzio who obsessively repeats (but with various tones of voice) the phrase "Light house keepers murdered on the cliff/And the cliff burns..". "We" features spoken sections in English, similar to some sounds of Slint, alternated with a melodic and dreamy chorus thanks also to the soft trumpet and synth; suddenly comes a hardcore outburst sung in Italian, with very pessimistic content ("E' visione insostenibile il proprio riflesso e comunque non si vede mai/Allora cechi ammirate la vostra proiezione artefatta/Da operatori imperiali e pessimi architetti/Come protesi di membra castrate") that closes the track.

Always very powerful is the instrumental "Met" in which the trumpet, leaving any accompaniment ambitions, indulges in a beautiful solo that occupies almost the entire song, wonderfully supported by the other instruments. We reach the end of this small great album with the long (8 minutes) "Impero". The first part is slow and reflective, with the bass in particular prevailing with its dark and hypnotic patterns, then a trumpet and drum section acts as a bridge to the last part of the track, in which the other instruments, as in an ascending climax, perfectly accompany the last trumpet solo, which rises in intensity until it fades into the final silence.

A difficult and cerebral mini-album, which, if well assimilated, will be able to convey beautiful emotions.

RATING = 8