Strana Officina
Ritual

After the success of their first self-titled EP, Strana Officina released their second EP, "Ritual", in 1986, where the Heavy component of the tracks is accentuated, with more references to the Iron Maiden in style and sound. The release also marks a change in direction regarding the lyrics, which for the first time are in English, in order to solve distribution problems abroad, essentially to avoid excluding themselves from the foreign market. Here the production is very well taken care of and the product is of excellent quality, but what makes it a must-listen for the true enthusiasts of Strana and our domestic Metal in general is the presence of four songs that have become four real hits of the Livorno-based group.

It starts with the title track, a Maiden-influenced piece, introduced by an intro full of distortions and "spacey" sounds, almost recalling the theme of the sci-fi cover, swept away by a fast riff that immediately lets us understand the new direction of the band, devoted to the hardening of sound (a hardening then partially denied in the following LP "Rock'N'Roll Prisoners", where even vaguely bluesy nostalgic echoes find place); Fabio Cappanera's guitar definitely recalls Iron Maiden's style and even Bud Ancillotti's voice sometimes seems to mimic Bruce Dickinson, but despite this, the piece is damn good and captivating.

"Gamblin' Man", the second track, follows more Speed coordinates, it's a very fast track, that takes no prisoners, angry and effective, performed with fury and feeling by all four musicians. Next is the semi-ballad "Unknown Soldier", whose initial acoustic arpeggio almost wants to deny the power of the previous song, only to then explode into decidedly rocky riffs that mark another memorable piece. But the real cherry on top is the concluding "Metal Brigade", absolutely the highlight of this release, fast, powerful, with a devastating rhythmic section (Enzo Mascolo on bass and Roberto Cappanera on drums), a track bordering even on Power Metal and which would so much capture the imagination of the band's fans, that the most fierce organized a fan club of diehards which they named after this song, the Metal Brigade, indeed, that would follow them to every live event until the tragic disappearance of the Cappanera brothers; the four are unleashed and deliver a memorable studio performance, enhanced by a production that does justice to the value of the group.

This EP, besides being a precious item for collectors and enthusiasts, is also and above all another excellent endeavor of a legendary band which, I want to remind you, was active right in our homeland, that put feeling before everything, that was able to make great music (although undoubtedly derivative) and that should be rewarded for the passion they infused in every track they composed and that oozes in tons from this "Ritual", surely deserving to be listened to and appreciated also for what it represents, another piece of the history of Italian Metal: ...so come on, join the Ritual!!