Meganoidi
Granvanoeli

Listening to the current Meganoidi and remembering the old ones, in white shirts and black ties, thundering against the forces of evil of the municipal police, would bewilder any listener. You feel even more bewildered when you discover that, even at concerts, the old tracks like "Meganoidi" "Supereroi vs Municipale" and "King of Ska", which brought glory and popularity to the Genoese group, are not even reprised.

With "Outside The Loop Stupendo Sensation" we witnessed a first turn: the detachment from ska sounds was there but preferred not to be abrupt. The EP "And Then We Met Impero" marked the shift towards this dark rock, a rock that seems to explore itself and find new paths as it is played. Nothing else was to be expected but "Granvanoeli", the third studio album of the band that follows the path traced by the previous EP. The peculiarity of this album and its songs is that there is nothing that can wink at something catchy and easily singable or danceable; the classic "verse-chorus-verse" structure is not always present, each piece has a story of its own. Take for example the first track, titled "At Dusk": it opens with an extended guitar riff that immediately creates the dark and reflective atmosphere of the album, then leaves space for Davide's voice (powerful and resigned depending on the sound it requires) and after a moment of silence, it resumes until the end of the song with an entirely instrumental piece.

The other peculiarity, noticeable from the outset, is the role of the brass instruments: once the leaders and creators of the rhythm, now noble supporting players that best paint the album's atmosphere. "Dai Pozzi" is the first single of the album: its oil that destroys, descends, and submerges ruins, sounds like the description of a modern catastrophe. "Anche Senza Bere" and "2:16" further define this apocalypse, the instruments explode in the first piece as does Davide's voice in the second. The rest flows similarly with the guitar marking one blow after another leading to the disillusionment of "L'approdo", a hammering arpeggio, a resignation for something that is expected, sought, but not found: "Amai solo quel che era già stato, quello che fu, per anni navigai verso un approdo che non c'è più". The harbor of this album, instead, is the title track "Granvanoeli", a piece with more relaxed tones. Quoting this last song, I would say "It doesn't matter anymore": it doesn't matter who the Meganoidi were, it only matters to close your eyes and let yourself be carried away by the atmosphere of this album; it matters to have something to say, and they do, even if not with the playful tones of "Supereroi vs Municipale".

"Granvanoeli" is a courageous album, an album that demands to be listened to several times and also a bit of reflection, and, if you allow me, that's no small feat in a time when even music often seems to become a ready-to-consume object. In addition, considering the fact that for years the Meganoidi have applied a political price to their CDs and through their label, Green Fog Records, they support and promote new bands... I can only appreciate them.