Novembre
Materia

THE REVIEW

This time we're not on normal levels. No, it's not possible. "Verne" is not normal. It seems they have torn their most intense feelings from their chests with their bare hands, with bloody nails.

There is a white sky covering everything, a long, endless, and magical horizon that vanishes, lost in the void, like our mind, our heart, immersed in an ocean as deep as the most recondite corner of our soul. This time they are destabilizing.
This time there's no judgment, no, it's the tears flowing like rivers that speak for us. This time these are pearls of not rare, but UNIQUE beauty. Because they are unique, Novembre are UNIQUE.

Yes, we agree, they had already accustomed us to these hard blows, to such violent emotions. But if we had to wait a good 5 years, there must be a reason, you can't release just any album after 5 years, it's not possible, especially from a band capable of creating superb masterpieces in much less time.
This time, my dear sirs, we're talking about a masterful work, not a pearl, but a black and shining diamond. Listening to the arpeggios of "Geppetto" is an experience I recommend everyone try, just as it's surreal to get lost in the rock-flavored contortions of "Nothijngrad"…

This time Carmelo has chosen to express himself most of the time in his native language, an Italian that even seems exotic to us Italians, an Italian that makes us dream with open eyes without even realizing it… The story of "Geppetto" seems like that of The Old Man and the Sea, tender and enveloping… while "Verne"… well, "Verne" you need to listen to it to understand, words cannot explain the shivers it can cause, it's a timeless dream, without subconscious and without awakening, just a tunnel of pure feeling…
And how can we not mention "Comedia?" A nearly death metal instrumental attack but rich in atmospheric epicness soon gives way to one of the sweetest and rock tracks on the album, full of subtle and almost Pink Floydian hints, another tear that falls leaving you petrified. Yes, because "Materia" is not made up of 11 songs but 11 tears, which flow without asking anyone's permission as soon as the very first seconds of the album invade the stereo speakers.

There is complexity, ethereal arpeggios, chiaroscuro riffs, and a voice that almost never hands over to the growl; here Carmelo indulges in the clean, giving everything to melody, recalling the melancholic style of "Arte Novecento". But there's also that dreamy atmosphere typical of "Novembrine Waltz", as well as that Mediterranean flavor of "Wish I Could Dream It Again…".
The desperate dramatism of "Classica" is the only thing missing here, but it's perfect this way, because "Materia" is fundamentally a delicate album, aiming to gently caress the soul, not to wound it with guitar slashes or violent growls without hope. All this is sublime, it's an emotional massacre, a slaughter of hearts, a sweet and convincing drama that very few other bands would be capable of replicating today.

Novembre are a pride of Italy. Hold them close… as you enter Nothijngrad…
"Dreams are children of the heart, Created as pain, Stripped of reason, For this sent to die…"