Pornoriviste
Codice A Sbarre

EARTHQUAKEEEEE!!!! EARTHQUAKEEEEE!!!

That's how the 4th album of the "Pornoriviste" starts, an Italian punk-rock band that I've always liked for their compositional simplicity and their lyrics against this society that suffocates us more and more. Raw guitars and punk rhythms, overtaken by Tommy's rough voice followed by Dani's polished one.

"Codice a Sbarre" is an album that means a lot to me; it opened new horizons. I still remember back in 2001 when I was 14 years old, my vision of Italian bands was very limited; all I did was listen to Verdena, Shandon, Moravagine, etc... Until one day, my older brother said, "listen up, try this out and let me know." I was very skeptical and thought, "who are these idiots, and what kind of name is 'Pornoriviste' hahaha" I had to rethink after just a few minutes; that album was fantastic; it went against the grain, I believed what they were saying, it made me think, considering my age.

The album, in my opinion, is the one that signifies the group's maturity and evolution (by evolution I don't mean musical because they have always been consistent with their sound, but I mean the evolution of their lyrics and the topics addressed in the album). "Codice a Sbarre" is full of tracks with great impact for a first listen; just listen:

"La scatola dell'odio" where practically the entire system is attacked, from the media to traffic jams, from the Italian police to Emilio Fede.

"M.I.B" the machine screwing kids, namely the State. Here we can find very anarchic lyrics that today might not make me think much... but back then...

" Sliding and falling into the dark
in the end, I realized that there's
a mechanical device pushes against the individual
and kills those who choose for themselves
it worked from distant times
it works and works more
there's no choice it's the voice
that comes out of cars from 8 to tea time
make it not go that way
make it not end up there
you're the kid-screwing machine or M.I.B.
it's something stagnant and even the wind
doesn't take it away from in front of me
it's an endless line of bowed heads
but see mine isn't there
I have a purpose, a goal, and a tomorrow
salvation depends on me
I'm not tired, the challenge excites me
I'm waiting for you, start with me"

"Ghiaccio" which deals with immigrants and the abuse they suffer from the police because in this country we make a BUNDLE of all grass.

I could continue to describe many other deserving songs, like: "Non è finita", "Tempi cupi", "Cinismo", etc... but I know that track by track is not much appreciated, so I conclude by saying that when this album came out, it did its job... genuine punk-raw made in Italy.

Now I'm 21, my musical tastes have changed a lot, but every now and then when these memories resurface and I listen to this album again, I go back years... and find myself in that world where only they exist; then when the CD ends, I throw it back in the drawer to gather dust, there are millions of other things to listen to. But rest assured a little dusting off will surely happen, and I also recommend it to you.

PS: I am aware that my reviews are always not very critical and not very objective, but unfortunately, I always find myself reviewing albums that I love and have particularly loved.