Rebel Devil
Against You

A raw cover like few and a monicker not exactly original but effective, printed with a font that would almost seem more suited to an American whiskey label. That's how "Against You" presents itself. My first question was "what's a record that would look out of place even in a local market doing in a money-grubbing megastore like Fnac?" Just flip it and look under "components" to unravel the mystery. Gianluca Perotti, Dario Cappanera, Alessandro Paolucci, Cristiano Dalla Pellegrina (Extrema, Strana Officina, Raw Power, and Negrita, for the uninitiated, not just any four fools). My first reaction was, I don't know, I think it's not much! Back home, I unleash Google (I'm a slacker and I've got time to waste XD).. Almost zero information. Half a review and two interviews here and there. Yet, the album hasn't just come out, I tell myself. Things are getting interesting! Sure, because it's easy to discover you appreciate an album like Shogun that divides between fierce reviews and praise, or Death Magnetic after reading and hearing shock and indignation everywhere (the best publicity remains negative), but a band like this putting out an album without anyone knowing about it, especially considering the few appendices here and there even cite big names like Pantera as a comparison... Well, it's a bit strange. Let's dive into listening without wasting any more time then!

I must first make a note, the general sound of the album is truly, truly slick. The Next One, which opens the dance, sounds very radio-friendly hard rock, not extreme but not soft either. Effective chorus and riffing that might remind of bands like Nickelback or The Seether but much more pissed off and with a decidedly thrash touch. A good start, no doubt. It continues with Last Yard and here similarities with Pantera begin to appear, the initial riff seems to come directly from "Far Beyond the Driven"! No sort of plagiarism though, the character of the song remains still much more hard rock than thrash, even if Cristiano's voice is definitely scratchy (it reminded me of the not excellent but appreciable Drowning Pool). A fitting chorus, possibly one of the best tracks of the album. The same goes for the next track, which returns to being more catchy and less aggressive. With Leave All Those Behind Rebel Devil roar back, and the riffing gets heavier. Yes, this definitely echoes Phil Anselmo and company, although, I clarify right away, you won't find anywhere on the album anything granite-like or devastating akin to Dimebag (also because it would be a clear farce), but there's a hint of the so-called "American groove thrash". Stay is a small misstep. It slows down the excellent pace of the previous tracks and is quite boring, in addition to having a marked "heard it before and it wasn't anything special, classic 'heavy ballad with central solo'". The title track takes control again, offering a slow but determined and well-paced rhythm, though right from the start there's a whiff of "this is really identical to...", and it persists for the whole track's length, only you can't precisely identify the "citation" (or at least I couldn’t). After Life gives us another adrenaline moment, sounds darn good (always very catchy), and even the short solo truly deserves merit. Another drop in pace with Believe Me, not that I'm against ballads, but this one is just too slick. Although I have to admit it's not entirely to be scorned, definitely more fitting than the other. Let's jump to Wrong Way of Life, which seriously rocks (to put it without mincing words). Quotable like the rest of the album but it's damn "right" and plays a pleasure. And here ends the rock-metal crossover of the cheeseburger country played by Europe's Spaghettarians. The two closing tracks, although very valid, are glaringly radio-friendly. Still cheeseburger style but too "easy". Not Your Own World even tries, flaunting a decidedly rocky riffing that, however, falls into an overly easy chorus that sticks in your head like a stamp, and after a couple of times repeating it in your mind, it's not bad, but nothing extraordinary.

In conclusion? I don't know. Honestly, I like the album, but it slightly lacks in ingenuity (or maybe cunning, the line is thin). Honestly, I feel like recommending a listen, also because (I know it sounds bad), for an Italian album, it sounds damn USA, maybe a bit too flashy. Direct comparisons with Pantera and Black Label Society (of the latter, moreover, I found few similarities, but maybe it's just me since I don't know them very well except for a couple of albums) are exaggerated, although some traces are visible in the sound. To put it in pompous words, one could define them as a group that plays a mix between Groove Thrash (a term I viscerally detest by the way) and a hard rock that is at times hard and at times decidedly melodic. I prefer not to define them though, I am more inclined to say they are "flashy" enough, that the album is more than appreciable but not a masterpiece, and that I wouldn't mind hearing more about this group in the future, and maybe even catching a concert if the opportunity arises. Rating 4 for the "star-spangled boot", but it's more a very generous 3 with a small bonus considering that, after all, we're talking about an "All Star Band" (the kind of group that usually does nothing but huge flops sold as if they were pure gold) which also promoted itself little (or poorly, I wouldn't know), so they even inspire some sympathy from me.